Pirates Versus Privates
by DixieMame
Summary: An AU tale starring the Sensational Six! A steampunk romantic comedy, Private Minnie Mouse has one year to bring in Pirate Captain Mickey Mouse, before she has to leave the NAVY for good.But he has his own plans for her, and now she's become his treasure!
1. Drowning Versus Dreams

Welcome to my new story! I hope you enjoy this bizarre tale of love, life, and mice. Major thanks to my friend Angela for helping create this universe, Cici for coming up with the outfits, and Elera, Twisted, and various others for their great support.

In this beginning chapter, we get introduced to our main heroines. Millicent is a fancharacter created by Angela, and I hope you come to love her as much as I have. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>There is a significant difference between dreaming that you're drowning, and actually drowning. Nothing can simulate the fire burning in your lungs as your body screams for air, nor the weight you feel as more and more water seeps into your nostrils. It is a particularly painful and slow way to die.<p>

But she had no plans on dying. She had no plans on letting him die either. No matter what it took, she and he were going to survive, and she refused to believe otherwise. In the course of one year, a strength, a confidence, a will to defy death itself had built up within her, and it was now being put to the test. It was all thanks to him.

Him, and her, and the course of one year's time. To fully understand how this will was formed, the clock must be turned back one year, to when this all started.

She was a private. He was a pirate. This is how it all began.

* * *

><p>Minerva Mouse woke up take gasping breathes of air, with eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling above her. She was sweating, and although the weather was admittedly hotter this time of year, this was the kind of sweat that came from fear. Once again, she had that drowning dream… the beginnings were always different – some days she was just walking a walk, another she was in the midst of battle – but they always ended with her landing in the ocean water, and unable to survive. It was ridiculous when she put logic to it, for she was a good swimmer. If it was some kind of symbolism, she didn't want to hear any of that nonsense. Her life was perfectly fine, thank you very much; she was not drowning metaphorically in anything. Her life was going swimmingly.<p>

Once she was assured she was awake, she took a glance at the singular window to the small room. It was circular and could only be seen by once person at a time, but she didn't even need to lift her head to see the sunlight coming through it. Wiping some sweat off of her forehead with the back of her arm, she decided the dream had done something good for once – she had woken up before the alarm clock! She was early for once! Since she was typically the one that tended to have hard sleeping habits, she was particularly proud of this moment, and happily began to climb out of bed. How early was she, she wondered, and once her feet had found the floor, she made her way to the desk drawer, which only held the small blinking clock.

10:00 a.m.

The fear from the dream was suddenly quite insignificant compared to the fear when she saw those blinking numbers. "T-Ten?" She rubbed her eyes – all that did was let her see it was now 10:01. "Daisyyy!" She shrieked, and looked at the top bunk of the bed, but it was empty. How could Daisy forget to set the alarm? She was a dead duck! Well, deciding a good punishment would have to come later! Oh, goodness, she had entirely missed breakfast, and the morning drill, and now roll call was being taken! She had no time to lose being enraged!

She sprinted towards the bathroom, determined to shower and dress as fast as a little mouse girl could, which alas wasn't terribly fast. Her mind continued to spring all over the place, trying to think of how she would face the day. Punishing Daisy, that was high up on the list, but there was also breakfast to take care of, and making up for the drill, and then checking the mail to see if she heard from her parents, and picking up her skates from Gadget, and then of course her assignment for the day, whatever it was… the life of a N.A.V.Y. girl was an exciting one, and there was always plenty to do.

N.A.V.Y. – Nautical Air Victorian Youth, the official female military of the Four Kingdoms. Though they had originated in Britain, the rising age of piracy had caused their other kingdoms to ask for their help, and in this day and age, the NAVY worked for all Four Kingdoms. Whatever wasn't being aided by the NAVY was helped by their male counterpart, the A.R.M.Y – Air Requisitioned Male Youth. Both military forces soared the seas and the skies to ensure peace was established for all, and to punish piracy. Minerva was proud to be a part of such a powerful force, and had worked diligently for the three years since she joined at age fifteen.

Shower over and clothes on, she checked herself over in the vanity mirror Daisy had insisted they hang on the bathroom door. Her uniform was the same as everyone else, save for one embarrassing detail. Everyone had the blue headbands, the white boots, the blue and gold overcoat, the white frilled shirt - but in this particular section of the N.A.V.Y., the one that was designated to protect the Kingdom of Britain, and only in her particular age group, Minerva was the only one still wearing a white skirt. The skirt had been part of the original uniform way back when it was first established decades ago, but now it was only given to new recruits. When one was promoted to a higher rank, they were given blue and gold pants to replace it. Everyone Minnie's age, and some a year or two below it, had earned the right to wear the pants.

Smoothing down her skirt, she sped out of the cabin bedroom, and tripped over her own feet at least three times before making it outside, where everyone in Minnie's squadron was already standing to attention, standing on the freshly cut grass before a large wooden stage. On the stage was their captain, Amelia Doppler, and as always, she wore the face of someone in a bad mood. A tall woman, a cat, with brown fur and a stern face, she never wore a smile, or at least as far as Minerva knew. Still, Minerva respected her greatly, for she was a great leader, and a terrific fighter. There was a rumor that once Amelia took down an entire boat of pirates with only a paperclip and an old pillow. Minerva didn't know if it was true, but she could believe it.

Captain Amelia was assigning duties to each roll call, asking the women to come to the stage when their name was called. To Minerva's luck, she was only on the E's, and so Minerva began to quietly wedge herself into the straight lines of straight faced women. Instead of going to her assigned place, however, she instead made a beeline for the D row, and grabbed a particular duck by the left arm, hissing into her ear. "Why didn't you set the alarm?"

Daisy Duck was her best friend in the NAVY, though at times could also be her worst enemy. She was a beautiful woman who always managed to turn heads wherever she went, and usually did so on purpose. Even now her hair was tied up in a ponytail to impress the males that were nowhere around here, and there were some hints of make-up on her eyes and beak. She was Minerva's age, and was the one to first coin up the nickname that Minerva accepted more than her real name. "Oh, Minnie, I was going to, I swear." She whispered, eyes darting behind her, without fully turning around to face her friend just yet. "In fact, I was going to wake you up when I got up… but you just look so cute when you're sleeping, I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"So I'm supposed to tell the captain I'm late because I'm too cute?" Minnie replied drolly, releasing the arm. How she loved Daisy, how Daisy annoyed the skies out of her! "From now on, I'll set the alarm."

"But you always set it so early!" The duck whined, now deciding it was safe enough to turn around for a hushed conversation. "I need my beauty sleep!"

"And I need my breakfast, but I missed it because of you!" Minnie didn't realize how loud she was getting, until she felt a gentle tap on her right shoulder. Glancing behind her, there were now two older women who had moved out of their place in line to confront the girls, for different reasons. One of them was Clarabelle Cow, twenty-four years old and the gossip queen of their squadron. Though she was also a friend of Minnie, Clarabelle enjoyed a good tease on Minnie's account, and enjoyed playing with men's heads as much as Daisy – though she had far less success. Clarabelle believed herself to be prettier, smarter, and all around better than everyone else around her, no matter how often she was proven wrong. Despite it all, she was a genuinely good woman, and her cases of bossiness were only trying to make Minnie into a better soldier.

Such as now, when she was wagging a finger in disappointment. "You can't always blame Daisy for your problems, Minnie! Why make her set the alarm when you're fully capable of doing it yourself?"

The second woman was Millicent Manchester, a towering poodle of a dog who was the mother of this strange foursome of friends. In the right light, her fur was chocolate that could turn to black. She was the same age as Clarabelle, yet couldn't be more opposite of her. Timid, shy, sometimes prone to tears, she was the one to soften harsh blows and always lend a helping hand. With kind brown eyes, she pulled out a small apple from underneath her coat, and bent over to offer it to her much smaller friend. "I managed to save this for you, Minnie. You must be starving." Even her voice was diminutive; as if afraid the wrong word could shatter the world.

The mouse sighed with relief, the apple now looking like the most delicious she had ever seen, as does most food when given to the hungry. "You're a lifesaver, Millie!" She bit into it after the compliment, hoping to finish it as soon as she could. Yet she still spoke in-between chews, needing questions answered. "What're the assignments today?"

"Well!" Daisy leaned in, as did the rest of the trio, making a small circle. "The McDuck Museum is opening tonight." Minnie's eyes instantly widened in recognition and surprise. Scrooge McDuck was a name everyone knew, the richest man in all of the Four Kingdoms, and this museum had been planned for years. Though he was claiming it was to help enrich the lives of society, everyone knew he was just trying to show off all the treasures he had collected over the years. It was rumored to have a dining hall, a shopping mall, and even a miniature zoo. "We're all being given different guards and assignments to guard it. You know something this huge is a prime target for pirates." Proudly, she patted her own chest. "I get to help guard the ancient artifacts wing."

Minnie was smiling so deeply that she nearly bit the core of her apple, ignoring how Clarabelle was bragging about her own assignment, something about guarding fine art. Certain words had stuck out to Minnie, the big ones being 'all' and 'pirates'. Such a combination of words could only mean not only was Minnie also going to be given a huge assignment, but she was finally going to be in a real battle, with real pirates! "Pirates…" She breathed, nearly dropping her food in excitement. "We finally get to fight real pirates!"

"Finally?" Clarabelle playfully flicked Minnie's nose, snapping her back to reality. "The rest of us have fought them plenty. So you'd better stick close to us if you don't want to become pirate booty!"

Minnie, for once, ignored the sting, too overwhelmed with excitement to care. "This is wonderful! I can finally show the Captain how good I've gotten! Real pirates! My goodness – I get to fight my first pirate!" Almost bouncing in her glee, she exchanged great smiles with Daisy, and Clarabelle… but not Millie. Millie had paled slightly, and was now looking around in worry. The duck and the cow stopped what they were doing, and then it truly hit all four of them – they had created so much noise that every single other woman was now staring at them, including, to Minnie's fright, the captain. An awkward silence fell over the group.

Amelia withdrew herself from her podium, and walked down the three stairs from the stage to the ground, heading right for Minnie. The other females were quick to retreat, a parting wave of girls making a path for their leader. Millie hid behind Clarabelle, who tried to hide behind Daisy, who tried to hide behind Minnie, although the height difference was more than obvious. Minnie, who had no one to hide behind, instead saluted when her superior stopped before her. Amelia had her hands behind her, and peered down at the mouse that was nearly trembling in her boots. "Private Minerva Mouse." Her voice was icy, though her expression was stoic.

Minnie hesitated before replying. "…Good morning, Captain." She kept her hand up in the salute position, just in case.

"You did not attend the morning drill, nor breakfast. And now I find you're not only late, but talking during roll call." Even though she was stating the obvious, each fact was like another dagger to Minnie's pride. "Is your conversation more important than your sisters-in-arms learning their assignments?"

"O-Of course not, Captain." Minnie shook her head hard, tempted to point out that all of this was Daisy's fault, but arguing with the Captain never ended well for anyone. "In fact… we were talking about the assignments! I'm just so excited that I – that we get to fight – get to protect such an important place!" A weak grin was made to try and save from all of the self inserting errors she had made.

Amelia's expression didn't even flinch. "You're not being assigned to the McDuck Museum."

A blink. Another blink. Maybe Minnie didn't hear right. "Captain?"

"You've been here for three years straight, and you're still wearing the skirt of a recruit." She even pointed directly at it, adding insult to injury. "You haven't done anything to prove you're ready for combat, especially not for something this important. Your assignment is to scrub the kitchens, from top to bottom." Minnie opened her mouth to complain, but a single quirk of Amelia's eyebrow shut her up. "You have my permission to leave roll call early to get started. I expect them to be clean enough to eat off of when we return from the opening." Finished, she turned, and began to right back towards the stage. The other women moved around to retake their places, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

Minnie didn't leave roll call early, nor did she move from her spot. She was even still saluting, as the sympathetic eyes of her friends watched her. To Minnie, the world had stopped. One moment, she had been ready to fight pirates and prove to everyone how great she could be. In the next… she had been given kitchen duty.

Again.

* * *

><p>It was roughly three o clock in the afternoon when Gadget Hackwrench's peace was disturbed. As special weapons and technicians expert of their squadron, she was given a fix-it laboratory that was enough to fit three hundred normal-sized adult women, yet was normally only occupied by this single very tiny woman. She had been at her work desk, trying to find the correct screw for the correct screwdriver, when her door was slammed open, and it almost enough to knock her off her table. Steadying her balance, she brushed some blonde hair out of her face so she could see who was interrupting her work. Minnie was storming inside, carrying a mop and bucket, with Daisy right behind her. Due to her duties, roll call was something she didn't need to attend all the time, but Gadget didn't need to be a genius to guess what happened.<p>

"Kitchen duty again, huh." The blonde one walked to the edge of the table, trying to be friendly. "I'm sure next time you'll be given something better…"

"Next time, next time, next time!" The taller mouse snapped, irritable, slamming her bucket and mop to the ground. "I always think next time will be the right time, but I always get the lowest of the low!" Now she marched around the room, trying to find the devices she had given Gadget to repair. "How am I supposed to prove to the Captain that I can handle fighting pirates and the bigger roles, when she won't give me a chance?"

"You just have to be patient." Gadget offered, wincing as she saw Minnie toss aside a few repairs-in-works in order to get to her goal. "You've got your whole life ahead of you to fight pirates!"

"No I don't!" Minnie cried shrewdly, though at least she finally found what she was looking for. Lifting it up to inspect it personally, they were steam-powered roller skates, painted gold, blue, and white, and one of Minnie's proudest possessions. She had been given them personally by Gadget during the first year she joined, as Gadget had been experimenting with these shoes and needed a test subject. Minnie had curiously volunteered, and discovered not only were they better balanced and sped far faster than regular skates, but due to Minnie's incredibly low weight and small stature, they were, at times, able to give her flight in the air for nominal amounts of time. Captain Amelia had allowed Minnie to keep them, since if they were a real success, they could become mandatory equipment for the NAVY. However, Minnie always had a nasty habit of wearing them out and breaking them at the worst times. But here and now, they were fixed, and Minnie headed back towards her friends.

Daisy leaned her elbows on the table, looking at Gadget as she explained. "I guess you didn't hear about it yet, Gadget… but Minnie's engaged."

The fix-it girl paused, not sure why this information was being given. "Oh, well… congrats?" She looked back and forth between the girls, confused. "But what does that have to do with anything? You're engaged too, Daisy, and you still get some great assignments, and you've fought plenty of pirates."

Minnie sat on the floor, taking off her white boots to put on the skates. "That's because Daisy's fiancé is fine with her being in the NAVY. But mine isn't… His name is Mortimer Rodawn, and it's an arranged marriage. It's been decided for a long time, but now Mortimer wants to speed things up and get married as soon as possible. Our engagement party is next month." With a few clicks, the shoes were snugly fit. She began to stand up, and dusted off her skirt.

Judging by Daisy's scowl, Mortimer was apparently not favored by the friend. "And he's made it perfectly clear that he wants a house wife, not a NAVY wife, so when they get married, she has to quit… She's got a year, tops, before they get married." The duck even blew a raspberry at his name being mentioned. "I can't believe your parents don't see what a jerk he is. Isn't there still some time to call it off? What if you meet mister right?"

Minnie crossed her arms, all too familiar with this argument. "My parents like him, and I want to make them happy. He'll provide for me, he'll take care of me…" And just because she couldn't think of anything positive about his personality didn't mean it didn't exist. "You know how it is. That's why your family wants you to marry Donald, so you'll have plenty of money in the future, with being related to…" Then she trailed off, something igniting in her brain. Her depressed expression was beaming into a smile, eyes glittering with hope. "… With being related to Scrooge McDuck. You're going to be in-laws with him soon. So…" She began to tip-toe up to Daisy, meticulous with each step. "…So you've probably been in that museum before, right?"

"I don't like where this is going." Gadget quipped, deciding to retreat and go back to screw hunting.

Daisy found herself backed up against a wall, not liking where Minnie's tone was going. "I have, Donald showed it to me a few times… why…?"

"Then, maybe…" Minnie batted her eyelashes, and held up her hands in a praying position. "You would know how I could get in without the others noticing? Some kind of secret entrance?"

"Minnie! Are you crazy?" Daisy looked for a way out, but Minnie grabbed her by the shoulders, keeping her in place.

"Please, please, please! If I could just get in there, I can show them that I'm not a disaster!" With each plead came a shake, desperate to make her point known. "We don't even know for sure if pirates will attack, nothing's confirmed! I'll just keep to myself in one part of the museum! Please, Daisy, help me out? Aren't we best, best, best friends?"

Just as Daisy couldn't bring herself to wake Minnie up due to sheer adorability, she found she couldn't deny Minnie here for the same reason. Those big eyes, those little lips, those spitcurls in her fur… With a defeated sigh, she hung her head. "I may have an idea… but if I get in trouble, you're going down with me."

"Yeah yeah, sure sure." Minnie just nodded, ignoring the consequences. "What's the idea?"

Daisy opened her beak to speak, but hesitated, and looked at the table. "Gadget?"

Gadget waved a hand, still digging through her parts. "As far as I'm concerned, you two were never here."

Safe, Daisy continued, facing Minnie. "A lot of the security systems for Scrooge's museum just need a typed in code to pass through. I only know one of them, and it's for the back entrance to the kitchen." She frowned. "The Captain is going to be really steamed when she finds out about this."

"She said to clean a kitchen." Minnie grinned. "She never specified which one."

* * *

><p>The museum opened at eight o' clock, so Minnie decided to arrive there at nine, just in case. The party was no doubt under full swing by now, with the guests and NAVY swarming the area. Someone like Minnie would easily blend in, so she believed. The museum itself was wedged between two other famous McDuck buildings, his library and a candy factory… in fact, the entire city block the museum was in was McDuck territory. Daisy and Minnie had discussed the plan during dinner, and so it seemed flawless. Just as Daisy had promised her, the back way to the kitchen was unguarded, and there was only one door to enter it. It was steel, and on top of it was a grid of letters and numbers to input the code, if one knew it. This particular code was an odd one to Minnie – G, O, L, D, I, E. You would think at his age, he would know how to spell gold correctly.<p>

The code beeped a merry tune when it was entered, and the door slowly slid open on its own. Minnie adjusted her belt, for even rookies were allowed to take weapons from Gadget if they filed the proper paperwork, or bribed her with enough Koo-Koo Cola. Even then, Minnie had only been allowed two basic weapons – a pistol with five bullets, and a double-edged sword that couldn't cut flesh. Beggars couldn't be choosers, and she was satisfied with what she had. When the door opened, she rolled on inside, still wearing her skates, going through the kitchen, and sliding past several doors to get into the museum proper.

McDuck certainly had plenty to brag about! The place looked even grander and large on the inside, and it was alive with chatter as people went back and forth to see his treasures. As she went through the crowds, she spotted Daisy on the second floor, no doubt heading to her post. Wanting to assure her friend that the plan was working, Minnie quickly made her way to the first set of marble stairs that led up to the second floor, as the middle of each floor was made to look upon the one below it. At the top, she nearly bumped into her friend, and held onto the stairway. "Daisy!"

"Minnie!" Daisy, by now, seemed very lax about the plan, and smiled with enthusiasm. "So you did make it!"

"Of course." Minnie went to the top step, hands on her hips, proud. "The days of the old Minnie are far behind me, Daisy. No more crashing ships and planes, no more misfiring weapons into open crowds, no more crashing into parties…" Although that was technically what she was doing now, but the important thing was that all of her past errors, the years of screwing up, were finally coming to fruition. She leaned over the stairway railing, looking down on at the guests. "Look at all of these people. A pirate would have to be as dumb as a brick to try and steal from here."

"Especially with Scrooge's great security." Daisy took this moment to adjust her ponytail, as always concerned for her looks at silly times. "Though I do wish he'd keep up with the times. Re-entering a code twice is such a hassle."

Minnie slowly lifted her eyes from the floor below to meet Daisy. "…Twice?"

"Yeah, you know. First to unlock it, and the second time to lock it again." Daisy met her eyes, and saw panic being reflected in them. "You… you did put in the code a second time, right?"

"Um."

Before Minnie could even make an attempt to dart back and fix the giant hole in security she had created, a tremendous crash caught her giant black ears. Down on the first floor, one of the banquet tables had been tossed over, and now standing on top of the wreckage was a tall, lanky dog with floppy ears and buck teeth. His clothes were rubbish, stitched over hundreds of times, with splashes of orange and green, but more importantly, he was holding a pistol in each hand. "Keep yer arms up if ya don't wanna meet Davy Jones early!" He snapped, a hick drawl in his threat. As he said this, more dirty, ill-dressed man of his ilk rushed in from the exact same spot Minnie had come out from.

Then there was chaos, as the attending NAVY swept into action, clashing swords and guns with the invaders. The guests were screaming and running for their lives, some of them hiding behind the very treasures they were just fawning over. Scrooge himself was trying to fight cane to sword with the dog, until Captain Amelia interfered. More men continued to spill in, stampeding through the museum and up the stairs. Minnie herself was nearly knocked over, but managed to cling to the stairway railing with her entire body, though this did cause her to slide down the railing until she was on the first floor again. Somehow, Minnie had thought her first clash with pirates would be more dignified than this… and also not be her own fault.

She would just have to think about that later. This was her real chance! Pirates were storming the museum, she had to fight! As bullets screamed above her and people screamed around her, Minnie steadied herself, climbing on top of the stair railing, a plan forming. She'd use her skates to skate along the railing, return to the second floor, and no doubt save Daisy from the upcoming peril. The skates only needed to have their heels clicked together to be activated, and so she did, and it worked… too well. The steam hissed as it escaped her skates, and instantly propelled her forward, and forward, and forward, and forward… past the second floor, continuing on the curled stairway, past the third, fourth, fifth… until she reached the eighth floor when she managed to click her heels again to make them stop. But the stop came all too quickly, and she wound up flat on the floor, flat on her face, all on her own.

Dizzily, she sat up, trying to understand what had happened. This particular floor was deserted, as the pirates hadn't come up here yet, and the NAVY assigned up here had already fled downward to help their sisters-in-arms. Getting to her feet, she was just about to walk down the stairs, when, from the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of a shadow in the brightly lit hallway. Was someone still up here? Cautious, she unhooked the pistol off of her belt, and gripped it with both hands. She wasn't the best shot, but she wasn't going to go in there unprepared. Yet, how could that shadow have belonged to a pirate? With running distance, it should have taken at the very least five to ten minutes to get up to this floor, and the pirates had only just invaded.

She followed the elongated shadow anyway, as it was stretching out from one particular wing. A colorful sign from above informed her that this wing contained old maps and diaries, which she found odder still. What good would old, outdated maps be to a pirate? And don't even get her started on the uselessness of diaries. Still she went on, tip-toeing until she came upon a corner. Pressing herself up to the wall, she held her breath, listening. From around there, she could hear the shattering of glass, the whine of alarms, and the ruffling of pages. All of those were sounds that definitely wouldn't belong to a NAVY soldier. Biting her lower lip, she peeked around the corner.

Of course it was a pirate, but he was slightly better dressed than his kinsmen. At least, his clothes were cleaner and looked like they had gone through less wear and tear. A black hat sat on top of a red bandana tied snugly around his forehead, between two big black ears not unlike her own. In fact, he was a mouse as well, a true shame to her species. A single gold earring was lodged in one of those round ears, and though his clothes were clean, they still were sloppy in the sense that they hung off his small body, with even his white shirt open enough to reveal a black furred chest. From behind him, Minnie could see that a window had been smashed – apparently he had dived in here either before or during the invasion, so at the very least, this particular pirate's entrance wasn't her fault. He stood over a glass case, now smashed, thanks to the much-better-looking-than-hers pistol he held in one hand. He was flipping through a diary with the other hand, brow furrowed as he tried to decipher it.

Two things in particular about him stuck out to Minnie. The first was a red yo-yo that was attached to his belt, right next to a scabbard. The second was that he was, when one got a good look at him, rather… handsome. In a gruff, yet cute sort of way. But wait, what was she doing? She almost slapped her forehead for thinking of something so insane at a time like this. Here was the chance she had been waiting her entire life for, and there she was, pondering about toys and rugged good looks. It was time to shine.

"Stay where you are!"She announced her presence, and stepped out of the corner, embracing the fluorescent lights that shone down at her. She pointed her pistol at him, glaring hard at her enemy. "You are under arrest, for breaking and entering,- and burglary!"

He lifted his head from reading, and looked at her. An eyebrow was up, and he looked her over without saying a word. His eyes stayed on her hips for far longer than she was comfortable with, but then he simply looked back at the diary, and flipped a page, still silent. Nothing about him had changed, not even his expression.

To say that Minnie was gravely insulted would be to say that the ocean is wet. Her shoulders hitched, and her voice went a pitch higher, as she stomped three steps forward. "I said, you are under arrest! Now put that down, so I can read you your rights!"

"Little girls shouldn't play with pea shooters." He said without looking up. His voice was unusually high-pitched for a pirate, unusually high-pitched for someone his age, as well, for he looked to be a few years her superior. "Especially when they don't have handcuffs."

Just how many times today had Minnie been emotionally socked in the gut? She was beginning to lose count. "N… No, I have…" Yet her eyes went down, and she held the pistol with one hand to search her belt, she realized she had forgotten to bring along a pair. Frantically, she felt and re-felt her belt, as if it would somehow appear if she touched herself long enough. "Oh, no, oh, dear…" To make matters worse, when she lifted her head back up, he was suddenly in front of her, devouring all of her personal space. He had dropped the diary so he could grab her wrist, and easily snatched her pistol, tossing it over his shoulder.

"Now then." He clicked his teeth, and she could see one of his teeth was yellow – no, it was a gold tooth. "Why don't ye go on home to mum?"

Instead of filling her with fear, he only ignited her anger. "I said you're under arrest, y-you… jerk!" With her free hand, she yanked out her sword from her scabbed, and with that quick force, accidentally belted him in the face with the sword handle. He let her go, stumbling backwards, grasping onto his tiny black nose in pain, dropping his own pistol onto the floor. Minnie pointed her blade at him, smirking at the pain she had caused him. "You have the right to remain silent! Anything you saw and will be used against you in the court of law!"

"Nothin' this pretty has a right to be this annoyin'." Rubbing his nose, he withdrew his own blade, and the shine it gave off made it clear that unlike Minnie's blade, this one could cut flesh. Yet she still thrust forward, and metal met metal. Now this was an ability she had often been praised for, and confidence swam through her each time the blades kissed. Yet as they dueled, facts became clear. Neither of them were moving from their spots, and his face looked more agitated than worried. With the way his arm was moving, and how his eyes were darting over her…

He was going easy on her, the jerk! He was trying to make sure he wasn't hurting her! He thought of her as weak! That only made her angrier, and her focus and balanced shifted, making her sloppy in her sword thrusts. His words before rang in her head, knowing he was going easy on her just because she was a girl. He was one of those stupid types who couldn't bring himself to hit a girl. He was sexist! He was misogynistic!

… And she could work with that.

She forced their blades to go to a hard left, and then, in the span of seconds, let go of her sword, jumped, and tackled the boy down, arms pressed onto his shoulders. He landed on his back with a surprised childish yelp, and she stayed on top of him, her hips straddling his own, and, to her luck, her pistol right next to his head. She snatched it up, and pressed it to his temple, breathing hard. "I know you won't hurt me, but believe me, I have absolutely no problems hurting you!"

His eyes searched her – she was serious. He eased his grip on his sword until he let go. "Yer a strange little lass, aint ye." His eyes continued to move, still looking for a way out of this situation, and then he heard several clicks of several pistols.

Minnie heard this as well, and glanced around her. In the time of Minnie zooming up the stairs, sneaking up to this boy, and fighting him, Daisy, Clarabelle and Millicent had all made their way up to this floor, and now were pointing their pistols at him. Clarabelle didn't take her eyes off of him as she spoke. "You okay, Minnie? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine…" Minnie slowly pulled her pistol back, returning it to its pistol. The boy's face was now one of complete and utter defeat. Hers was now of complete and utter joy. "I… I did it! I captured a pirate!" She even threw her hands up joyously in the air, giggling ecstatically. "I did it all by myself! I captured one!" The girls kept their pistols trained on him, but still offered their congrats – Clarabelle with a high five, Millicent with a quiet 'way to go', and Daisy with a hug. All the while Minnie continued to flail about, nearly delirious in her victory. She'd done it! She'd really, really done it! "Look at me, I got a pirate! I finally got one!"

The pirate in question just stared at the bizarre girl on his lap. "… Ye lasses are a bunch of loons."

Minnie just stuck her tongue out at him, and resumed celebrating with her friends, until, once more, she noticed Millie had paled in fright. Again, silence swept her friends, and they all turned to see Captain Amelia now standing before them, arms behind her. While the trio were terrified, Minnie was not, and stood right on top of the pirate, even as he heard him yelp again in pain as her skates squished into his belly. "Captain!" She saluted. "Look! I captured a pirate, all by myself!"

"He's got a name." 'A pirate' said, trying to breathe despite being squished. "Could ye at least call me Mickey?"

He went ignored, as Amelia's stoic expression burned into Minnie. "That's all good and well, Private Minerva… but, answer me this. What are you doing here?"

Minnie abruptly went quiet. No one dared to say a word, and the silence began answering the questions the captain had.

No one, that is, except Mickey. "If this crazy lass doesn't get off me stomach soon, I'm gunna hurl…"

**End Of Chapter One.**


	2. Expectations Versus Reality

Welcome to the second chapter! Major thanks to my friend Lies for editing this, and friends Elera and Angie for for making me work on this when I wanted breaks. Here we'll see bonds develop, and learn more backgrounds. Also, the song used is a real one,'Come All Ye Jolly Sailor Boys'.

* * *

><p>The Hawkins was a beautiful airship, although very few of those who flew upon it knew why it was given that name. Clarabelle's rumors stated that it was after someone Amelia knew, but like most of her gossip, this was unfounded. The true facts were that it was Amelia's main ship, the one used for battle and to transport prisoners. Airships cut down travel times by more than half, through their battles were much more dangerous. Minnie had never been on one before, and perhaps under any other circumstance, she would have been absolutely delighted to know she would be on one soon.<p>

Alas, Amelia had been absolutely furious with what Minnie had done, and so what could have been a pleasant experience was now a miserable one. After the incredibly long and angry lecture Amelia had given her and Daisy, the prisoner, Mickey, had been handcuffed, and the foursome of friends were told to bring him to The Hawkins immediately. Sleep was not allowed until the ship was ready to depart and head towards Alcatraz. In days of old, that island was a prison for the deadliest criminals and guarded by the highest members of the military. In this rising age of piracy, it was now used to store those charged with piracy until their execution date came up.

All pirates were sentenced with execution. There were no exceptions. Any attorneys assigned to their case could only help extend the delay of death by making other pirates turn on their comrades. Trials themselves were the biggest shams of all, because the words 'innocent until proven guilty' were never uttered, never even thought of, and usually took less than ten minutes, if it was a busy day.

It was three in the morning – or two? Or four? Minnie had lost track of time ever since they left the museum - when Minnie was leading Mickey through the lowest level of the Hawkins, which contained the prisoner cells. They could have fit over twenty men, but they couldn't just up and wait for nineteen more men to fill them up. Minnie stopped Mickey in front of a big cell, with plenty of walking room, and looked rather clean for keeping bad men in. After making a quiet yawn, she left go of his arm, and began digging in his pockets and belt, extracting all possible dangerous weapons from him. Aside from his sword and pistol, she managed to find a few small daggers and extra bullets. He had been silent this entire time, until she went to take the red yo-yo.

"Hey, hey!" His sudden speech so startled Minnie that she actually stopped in place. "Can't I at least have me yo-yo? I'm gunna be bored to tears in there."

She didn't answer him right away, instead choosing to inspect the toy up close. It was just a regular toy, no tricks that she could see. "I'll give it back… if you tell me why you were going after those diaries." It was still a mystery that none of the girls had been able to solve, as the other escaped pirates had made away with actual jewels and treasures.

"None a yer business." He wouldn't meet her eyes, choosing instead to look at his cell.

"How about the names and locations of your crew members?" Due to the mass confusion and many of Minnie's mistakes, he had been the only man they were able to capture out of the entire fiasco. "Or where your ship is docked?"

Now he did look at her, eyes narrowed, and in lieu of a reply, he stuck out his tongue, and blew a rather loud raspberry at her. She stared in shock, with spittle on her nose, because his reaction was completely against everything she knew and was told that pirates did. Pirates did not blow raspberries. They didn't play with toys, either, and, after rubbing her nose clean, she decided he wouldn't either. "Fine, then!" After carefully placing all of his weapons away in a small wooden box, meant to be shipped away later, she grabbed a ring of keys off of a hook on the opposite wall. In swift, fluid motion, she unlocked the cell door, unlocked his handcuffs, and then took them off, shoved him hard inside of the cell, and then re-locked the cell door shut.

Mickey stumbled for a few steps, and then rubbed his freed wrists. "Big temper fer such a little lass." Settling himself against a wall, he watched her, lips mulling over how to get back what he wanted. "Listen, um…" he waved a hand, airily trying to recall her name. "Mina… Mimi…"

Minnie returned the keys to their hook. "My name is Private Minerva Mouse, and you will refer to me as such."

"Right, Mins." He ignored the whipped around glare she gave him. "What? Rather me call ye somethin' like… toots, sweet hips, turtledove?"

She stormed right up to his cell, almost grabbing the bars as insult ran throughout her tiny body. "Private Minerva Mouse! And you will stop staring at my hips this instant!"

"Not me fault yer wearin' a skirt, where are me eyes supposed ta go?" He pointed at the cloth in question, eyes lingering there, causing Minnie to tug down on it to try and cover more of her exposed legs. "Couldn't help but notice yer the only one sportin' it. Gotta mean yer proud to show 'em off." A pride he could understand, as shapely and pretty as such legs were.

"It's not a fashion statement, it's a symbol of rank!" Her voice became high pitched as more of her temper was lost. "It means I haven't become a fully ranked Private yet, I'm just a subordinate!"

Mickey's eyes blanked, such words not registering in his head. His brain took a few guesses as to what it could mean, until he found the most logical reasoning. "Aw, no… yer not tellin' me I got caught by a rookie?" The quiet between them answered him, and he groaned, slowly sliding down until he was sitting on his rear, defeated. "All the boys are probably laughin' their fool heads off…"

"Serves you right." She pulled back from the bars, a little bit of her own pride restored. "If you had just stuck with them instead of going to the eighth floor alone, you might have gotten away."

"Didn't think anyone would be up there, what with the boys distractin'…" he trailed off, realizing information was being leaked out of him. He promptly shut up, and pulled his head down lower on his head, partially covering his eyes.

Minnie would have tried to pull out more, when she heard footsteps from the stairs. Daisy was coming down, and calling out towards her. "Come on, Minnie! The Captain wants you to start your chores right away!"

With a small groan, Minnie returned the yell. "I'll be right up!" When Daisy's footsteps retreated, she took one more look into the cell. Mentally debating for a few seconds, she decided there was little harm in letting him have some entertainment before his execution. She slid the yo-yo in-between the bars, letting it bounce and roll until it came to its owner's side. Mickey's attention was caught, and he slowly took it into his hands, and he lifted his eyes to watch the girl go. His eyes went above her hips for once.

"Minnie, huh." He spoke to the silence, fitting the yo-yo's cord around his finger. "Spunky little lass."

* * *

><p>Minnie's punishments were unending, but deserved as far as Amelia was concerned. Aside from kitchen duty, <em>again<em>, she was assigned to clean the latrines and the upper deck, sowing together old sails, making the beds of all the other girls on board, and along with a host of other chores, her skates were temporarily taken away, and whenever she wasn't doing her other chores or sleeping, she was to watch over Mickey. She felt the latter was the most insulting of all the punishments, for he was locked up, the bars couldn't be destroyed, and even if by some miracle he did get out, he would be in the sky surrounded by dozens of women trained to kick his butt. He was safer saying inside of that cell.

The trip to Alcatraz was around a month's time, so Minnie kept her complaints to a minimum. The first few days were exhausting, and she almost considered her hours guarding Mickey her breaks. She would stand outside of his cell, and he would play with his yo-yo, and most of the time they wouldn't look at each other, let alone talk. But on the fourth day he had, out of sheer boredom, asked what the weather was like outside. She replied that it was cool, perhaps a little chilly. From then on, they would have little snippets of chatter, and although they were mundane topics, like what was going to be for dinner and what time it was, it served to humanize Mickey a little more day by day.

It was the end of the first week that Amelia allowed Minnie to finally look through her mail. Since all of Minnie's friends were in the NAVY, she only got letters from her family. This time, there were just two letters, and a small white box that easily fit in the palm of her hand. It was early afternoon, and mercifully, there were no chores needed doing just yet. So she decided to bring the letters and package with her as she went back down to the cells, giving a nod of greeting to Mickey before sitting down in front of his cell and opening the first letter, from her parents. Mickey returned the nod, simply rolling his yo-yo in and out into the air with the flick of a finger. Though the toy was small, its rolling made noticeable noise.

After a few lines into the letter, Minnie sighed, glancing behind hr to look at him. "Will you please stop that? I'm trying to read."

He continued flicking. "Whactha readin'?"

"What does it look like?" She held it up a little bit so he could see better in the dim lighting. "It's a letter."

"From who?" Flick, flick, flick.

"None of your business." She resumed reading, not noticing the returned rebuttal had made Mickey smile. He pocketed the toy, and crawled as close to the bars as he could, trying to read the letter over her shoulder. After reading another line in, Minnie noticed his shadow looming over him, and twisted to look at him, irritated. "I said it's none of your business!" She poked his nose through the bars and gave him a tiny push back.

Mickey sat on his knees, gripping the bars with his hands. "So yer mum's feelin' better?" With an agitated breath, she turned herself around fully, so that they were face to face, and he could no longer look over her shoulder. Mickey didn't mind terribly, continuing the conversation, curious again. "Good news, aint it?" Then why wasn't Minnie smiling or showing any signs of relief? Surely just his presence alone couldn't dampen something so good.

"Of course it's good news… but it's nothing new." Her eyes wouldn't meet him, though they weren't reading the letter either. "She's going to get sick again. She always does." She could feel his gaze on him, and cleared her throat. "She's sick… she's always been sick. She'll always be sick. Satisfied?" But when she did look at him, she was surprised not to see awkwardness or uncaring given to her. His expression was of sympathy, the kind she had seen whenever she talked to her girlfriends about her sickly mother. She had seen it so often in others that she could easily recognize it coming from him.

"M'sorry, turtledove." He mumbled, near quiet, and sat on his tail, unsettled with what he had taken from her. Normally she would snip at him for using that annoying nickname, but the fact that he was showing sympathy, and to her, floored her enough to keep her from snapping. Pirates weren't supposed to feel compassion for anyone but themselves. She actually felt more uncomfortable with him showing that kind of pity than of telling him about her personal life.

There was a desperate need to change the tension, and so Minnie quickly closed the letter, and grabbed the next one, flipping it open. "This one is from Mortimer." She even spoke rapidly, as if to shove the sympathy out of the air with sheer speed.

It did the trick, as Mickey's head was raised again, pulling the yo-yo back out to toss it between his hands, back and forth. "Mortimer? What kinda fool name is that?"

"Mortimer Rodawn." She explained as she read, thinking that someone named 'Mickey' had no right to complain about foolish names. "He's my fiancé."

The yo-yo dropped out of his hands with a silent 'thud' onto the floor. His eyes had widened, and it was his turn to be the truly shocked one. "Ye…" the words were difficult to come through. "Yer engaged?"

The tone in his voice got to her, and she met his astonishment with her own confusion. "Is it really so hard to believe I would be engaged?"

"N… No." There were tight-lipped buccaneers easier to get information out of easier than her with her personal life, yet it had never occurred to him that she had a man in her life outside of him. Not that he cared! Because he didn't, no sir. She could have all the men she wanted in her life. What did he care? He didn't! So _there_. "What's he want?"

Shrugging off his behavior, she read silently, though her eyebrows did quirk midway. "Oh."

"Oh, what?" Mickey repeated, picking his toy back up to play with.

"He sent me the ring." She placed the letter to a side, and picked up the small white box. It was a plain box, no decorations or designer labels to brag about. The inside was much the same, containing only white plush to hold the singular piece of gold jewelry. The ring contained only a tiny diamond that looked like it could have been the prize out of a cereal box. No inscription, no dazzle, just that jewel suck in and nothing more. Minnie lifted it out, and began to slide it over her gloved finger.

Mickey rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing right. "He… mailed the ring?" Even speaking it out loud only helped to strengthen how silly it was. "Aint it that the man is supposed ta be on one knee and all that romantic mush?"

"It's an arranged marriage, so he didn't need to propose." She closed the box.

"Thought ye lasses went all in fer the romantic mush." It just didn't sit right with him. "And my dog has sneezed shinier things than that itty bitty ring."

She began folding the letters carefully, trying to preserve them perfectly. "I don't need a big diamond or a proposal. The important thing is the marriage itself. Not every girl is obsessed with love and romance and weddings. Those things are so… trivial."

Mickey would never claim to be a wise master of all things womanly, but this was throwing everything he did know about women out the window. Either he had been wrong about girls all this time, or she was just the strangest one he had ever met. Opting for the latter, other words began to connect from what she had said. "So… ye don't even love this Morty?"

"Mortimer." She corrected, lifting a single finger to do so.

"Answer the question." He pouted at the refusal to do so.

"Why do you care?" She faced him, and crossed her arms right under her chest, feeling as if he was picking on her. Now that attitude was more like a pirate, wheedling and insulting anyone they wanted to, caring not for the feelings of others.

With an indignant look, Mickey copied her pose. "I don't care." She would never have guessed that the truth was sheer pettiness, concerning his questions. That, and he didn't care, of course not. Let her marry who she wanted! Let her love… or not love… aw, nuts to her! "Just seems silly, getting' hitched to a guy ye can't even stand…'spcially with such a fool name…"

"I can stand Mortimer! He's a wonderful person." She began to list off the reasons, showing a new finger to each one. "He's got plenty of money, he'll provide for me, he'll take care of me…" Which was just a roundabout way of rewording the same statement several times, but she didn't take Mickey smart enough to catch on. "And when we get married and I leave the N.A.V.Y., we'll live happily ever after." Maybe that last bit would make him stop talking about girls and their love of the romantic.

To her aggravation, he continued to yap and question, for with each fact she revealed about herself, there was a tiny hunger for even more. "Yer quittin' already? I knew yer a bit of a screw-up, but - "

"I am not a screw-up!" The accusation so exasperated her that she stood up, glowering over him. "I just made a few mistakes, that's all! And I'm not quitting!"

"But ye said-"

"I know what I said!" She cut him off, and went right up to the bar cells to get a better yell towards him. "I said I'm leaving, not quitting! Mortimer wants me to leave when we get married! Do you understand, or is that not romantic or girly enough for you?" He just had so many ways of making her lose her temper, or in his opinion, she just had too many buttons to push to set it off.

He raised a hand like a boy in school. "Can I ask one more thing? Last one. Pirate's honor."

An oxymoron if she ever heard one. With a heavy sigh, she rubbed her fingers between her eyes, hoping to stop the headache she knew was going to come. "Just one, and that's it."

He lowered his hand, and with all the sincerest interest he could muster, asked. "What do ye want?"

The power of those four words was enough to enable silence in those cells once more. They also carried a wind to extinguish her anger, and strength to lower her jerked up shoulders. Minnie had always firmly believed that sticks and stones, and high powered pistols, could break your bones, and words could never hurt you. It's why she was always able to recover from any insults she was given, and able to get over bad news when it was only spoken or written to her. Words weren't powerful, actions were. So why were these four so unusual and so powerful?

They had never been asked to her.

No, no, that couldn't be right. Her eyes moved around, as she searched her brain for a memory of that question. Yes, there were less significant times, like what did she want for breakfast, and what did she want to wear when on break, but this was clearly something greater. What did she want with her life and her future, that was the underline. An arranged marriage was a staple for the future, something already determined. Her parents had assumed Minnie would be happy with this, and for their sake, Minnie had let them think that. Her friends offered alternatives, but never actually asked this question. The ones she truly loved most in this world had never asked her what she wanted for her future.

The first time this question was given to her was by a law-breaking, childish, immature, annoying and out of his mind pirate. He actually wanted to know. The skill of those words made her arms drop to her sides, staring hard at him, lower lip quivering. Her throat felt dry, and there was a compelling cry within her to answer. "I… I want…" She had never been asked it, so she had never thought of it too greatly besides a typical complaint here and there. Despite all of her screw-ups in the N.A.V.Y., she still kept trying and worked her hardest. She had looked forward to her first pirate battle. She always trained hard and always practiced. She always did the chores given to her. Why?

"I want… to stay." Her voice shook to admit it. "I want to stay in the N.A.V.Y." She kept going forward for a future in the N.A.V.Y, that is why she did everything to the best of her ability, and why she took her duties so seriously. "I like… being here… I want to help people… My grandmother did this… and her mother, and her mother… I want to continue it…I want to help… I want to stay." She inhaled deeply, forcing her eyes to remain dry. When her eyes came up, she was surprised to see that Mickey had stood and was watching her intently. She hadn't even heard him move.

He hadn't intended to move or stand either, but her astonishment when he had asked the question hadn't been expected. He thought it was a simple question, and didn't understand the bombshell he had dropped until he heard her speak. It was at once both weak and strong, afraid to admit it but needing to say it. Something about this admission told him it was beyond the personal info he usually tried to dig out of her, and that it would be disrespectful not to stand for this. This was a family tradition that the girl was proud of, but in order to please her family, she would leave it behind. It was unfair, and in his view, ridiculous.

Strange, really… the girl that had been brave enough to fight him, and strong enough to tackle him down, was now looking as weak and heartbroken as a dumped kitten. He never really had a grudge against her, nor hated her, for she was doing her job in capturing him, it wasn't personal. His hands twitched, the toy pocketed. Right now, he wanted… it was madness, it was stupid, it made no sense… he wanted to hold her. Just give her a hug. She looked like she needed one, that was all, and he wanted to be the one to give it to her.

His arms shifted, but he couldn't bring himself to truly lift them. After all, they were separated by bars, and even if he tried, she'd probably slap him. She wouldn't want to be held by someone like him. Though, if she had trusted him enough to tell him what she truly wanted, then, maybe…

"Well!" She suddenly announced, straightened her body in a jerked motion, startling Mickey enough to freeze in place. "It is what it is." She had sought to defy the spell that had been cast over them, wanting to erase the weakness she had just shown. "I'm getting married and leaving the N.A.V.Y. That's all there is to it." Because what she wanted didn't really matter, not in the bigger picture, and it was foolish talk otherwise.

"W-wait, hey!" Now he gripped the bars, wanting to reach out and claim back the moment. "Then stay in the N.A.V.Y! Don't go and marry a guy who tells ye what ye can and can't do! What about yer folks? Can't ye tell 'em-"

"You said one question." She sat back down, with her back towards him. "I'm not answering anything else." She was terrified to answer anything else he had to ask. Hands on her knees, she put her eyes to the wall, telling herself that she would learn to want outside of the N.A.V.Y. life. Plenty of other women had done it when they left, so logically so should she.

Mickey, on the other hand, spat and sputtered at that defiance, and then banged his fists against the bars. "But! That's! Awwww, nuts to ye!" He turned his back to her as well, plopping right back down to sit. "Silly lasses, dunno what they want, marryin' guys with fool names, and…" Fine. What did he care? He didn't, you know. He absolutely did not care.

She didn't care what he thought either, mind you. Who would care what some stupid pirate thought? What business was her future to him? That would be the absolute last of her personal life she'd ever reveal to him. Not that she cared what he thought about her and her life. She did not, not one bit.

They sat there for a long time, absolutely not caring about the other in any way, shape, or form.

* * *

><p>Minnie had short spans of sleep on the Hawkins, because 'lights out' was the only time her trio of friends could make their way to her assigned quarters to chat. Daisy would ask about Mickey, Clarabelle would fill Minnie in on the latest gossip, and Millie would just quietly give her two cents whenever she could get a word in. It was the night that Minnie had told Mickey about Mortimer that she proposed a question to her friends, sitting on her bed with her friends on the floor.<p>

"What are you girls going to do after you get married?"

They looked at her, wondering where such a question had come from. Millicent's cheeks went apple red, and she laughed nervously, hands on her lap."W-why… you need to have a boyfriend to get married! And we don't have ones. I mean, well, Daisy does! Clarabelle doesn't… and neither do I. I-I do not. No." She grinned, breathing deeply through her nose.

Now they all looked at her and Daisy was the one to say what they were all thinking. "Okay, Millie, what's his name?"

Millie made a tiny 'eep' noise, trying to back up into a wall. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! There is no name, and no him, because I'm not dating anyone!" She shook her head hard, not aware of how bad of a liar she was.

Cow and duck rolled their eyes, and Daisy smirked as she continued speaking. "Well, aside from Millie's mystery guy… Clarabelle, I'm counting on you to find out…"

"On it." Clarabelle gave Daisy a quick high-five, despite Millie's whine of a whimper.

Daisy held up her hand, showing her own engagement ring. It was far more impressive than Minnie's for the diamond was nearly as big as her pupil, and there was even an inscription of her and Donald's name on it. "When Donald and I finally tie it, I'm going to start hosting the most fabulous parties… of course, you're all invited. McDuck has the loveliest ballrooms you've ever seen."

Clarabelle took over then, resting her head in her hands. "My prince charming better be coming along any day now! And when we're together, we'll open our own little boarding house. A sweet little bed and breakfast, so it'll be like having a million different kids of our own every month." Eyes went to Millie, but she was still far too flustered to give much of answer.

"You should just marry Horace and get it over with." Daisy reached behind her head to undo her ponytail, as Clarabelle gaped at her. "What? You two have been best friends forever - "

"I've been best friends forever with Millie too, but I'm not gunna walk down the aisle with her either." Clarabelle snorted, crossing her arms. "We've been over this, Horace and I are just friends. It would be… so strange to make it something else!"

Minnie knew exactly where this conversation was going, as it had been discussed a million times. Horace Horsecollar was a member of the A.R.M.Y, and had been a friend of Clarabelle and Millicent since their childhood, since they had all grown up in the same town together. He was a top mechanic, and more of a worker than a fighter. Countless times Daisy had suggested the two hook up, and each time Clarabelle had rebuked it harshly, with Millie weakly trying to mediate and Minnie trying to change the topic. A fight would escalate at this rate, so Minnie cleared her throat, trying to get attention back to her. "So are you girls going to stay in the N.A.V.Y. after you get married?"

It did the trick, as the trio looked back to her, incredulous. "Of course I am!" Clarabelle was the first to state it, lifting her head. "It's my life! I can't imagine doing anything else! Why would I stop just because I got – oof!" The burst of air came when Daisy ever so roughly jabbed her elbow into Clarabelle's ribs, trying to prevent dangerous territory from being tread on.

Daisy then straightened her posture, feigning innocence. "What she means, Minnie, is that the men we marry… they won't care as much as Mortimer does, the way he wants you out of harm's way." She forced a smile, and the other girls nodded accordingly, but Minnie saw right through the thin layering. Still, she appreciated the honesty beforehand and the effort now. "A year is a long time … he might change his mind."

"Thanks, Daisy." Minnie forced her own smile back, and was just as eager and sudden to switch topics again. "So, Millie, when do we get to meet him?"

The poodle shrieked and whined, as the girls began to bombard her with questions she refused to answer. As she continued denying, Minnie couldn't help but notice, in the course of the conversation, none of them asked what she wanted of her future, and of her marriage.

"I'm not seeing anyoooone, I sweaaaaar!"

* * *

><p>The first few days of the second week were angrily awkward between prisoner and private, still upset over what had been admitted and what had been withheld. Their conversation went back to the mundane, until the third day, when silence had been ruling over once more. That afternoon, as Mickey was flicking his yo-yo side to side, he had suddenly started to sing.<p>

"Well, come all ye jolly sailor boys who to the sea belong…" There wasn't much heart to it and it was more from boredom than anything else. "If ye'll listen ta me, I'll sing fer ye a song…" It still caught Minnie's attention, because it just seemed so out of place, to sing in a cell. "I've been as fine a seaman as ever furled a sail…"

Then it seemed even further away, when Minnie finished the stanza. "Until by lightning lost my sight in that last November gale." When Mickey raised his brow to her, she offered a one shoulder shrug. "The girls hear those kinds of songs all the time when they go for stealth missions. They tell them back to us. They're quite catchy."

Mickey clicked his tongue to his teeth, and tried for another lyric to see if the same would happen. "There was a wealthy merchant in the town where I was born - "

"I own, I loved his daughter and she loved me, I swear." She leaned onto the wall, with less enthusiasm in her voice.

That wouldn't do at all, to Mickey. "Aw, c'mon, put some… 'oomph' into it. It's not a funeral." He cleared his throat, trying to show her how it was done. "The press gang they came after me, and I was forced ta go, he sent me away ta plow the sea where stormy winds do blow!" His tone was merrier, and he even swung his arm like a conductor, trying to make her match his cheer.

Minnie put her head on one hand, lips pressed together. He was often very childish like this, a boy in a grown man's body. He was going to die in two weeks, and yet he found solace in singing a sea shanty. But then, it wasn't like she had anything better to do, and it was more favorable than doing chores. So when it was her turn, she tried putting more power to it, though didn't sing as loud as he was going. "On the fourteenth of November, from Cook's Harbour we set sail…"

"Louder!" he commanded, now conducting with two fingers, yo-yo still attached to one. "Like ye've just had yer first drink of the day!"

Putting aside the fact she didn't drink, she continued, though she would not go louder. "Bound down to Gibraltar, with a soothing, pleasant gale…" Though she did try to put more melody in it, an honest effort.

"That's more like it! Use those lungs!"

"The wind blew fair, our course did steer and back before the wind, but still my thoughts kept thinking on the girl I left behind…We arrived at Gibraltar and we lay ashore while there, and then bound for England the winds they did still blow fair… the very day we put to sea, set was every sail, when a storm came on, eclipsed the sun, and blew a fearsome gale." She was all ready and set to sing the next stanza, since it had seemed he had delegated the singing to her, but Mickey suddenly stood, strutting around his cell and taking over the performance.

"Strong winds still kept increasing up ta a hurricane, our skipper cried, 'Make haste, me boys, close reef our main topsail!'" For the part of the skipper, he had taken off his hat, and made his voice go purposefully squeakier, trying to imitate a boy much younger than he. The expression he was making to go along with the voice was so nonsensical, the voice itself was so crazy, that Minnie lost control of her body, and laughter erupted from her throat. Her hands were on her ribs, and no matter how hard she fought it down, it still spilled forth, uncontrollable. It wasn't her fault, how could anyone not laugh at that voice and that face? It was a good thing the other girls weren't around to see this.

Laughter is contagious, and so Mickey stopped the song to join in on the hearty good time. Her laughter was very cute, and it suited her very much. It was like running the fingers down a key of pianos, back and forth, melodious, a new burst with each one. He enjoyed the sound of it, and their laugher continued bounce off one another. The moment for tunes had passed, so once the laughter began to quiet and normal breathing was attained, he placed his hat back on, and turned to face her. The plan was to ask her if she knew any more songs, and possibly to try and make her laugh more, when something miraculous happened.

She smiled.

Smiles themselves were nothing miraculous, they happened all the time. While the song itself wasn't cheerful, the duo had been laughing, and it was impossible to laugh without smiling. He had seen hundreds of smiles in his lifetime, as he wanted the men on his crew to be happy. He knew Minnie was capable, though never gave much thought to it. But when he saw her smile, he suddenly forgot all about those logical facts. They seemed vastly unimportant right now.

It was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life. Considering his life was made on stealing treasures and jewels and other beautiful things, he felt he was very qualified to think this of her. Perhaps it was the way her colorful eyes were lit up, or how it was perfectly symmetrical down to her tiny cheeks. It was more than that, but he couldn't pinpoint it into words. It was not just a smile, it was Minnie smiling. That was part of the beauty, though he still couldn't understand why it was so beautiful.

It was… It was just… just… _Gosh_! To look at her! To look at that! His legs felt weak, breathing became complicated, and thinking was a challenge. He knew feeling this was made no sense, but darn it all, he didn't care. He just wanted to keep looking at that smile, and felt he would do anything to make her keep smiling. This was beauty, this was life, this was fantastic, this was… he had to see it up close. There was no question about it, as his body felt a need harder than almost anything in his life. He just had to see it closer, see her closer, gosh, that smile, he needed it, had to be closer to her, had to, need to, her, that smile, gosh, oh, needed…

_BONK!_

The desire for that smile had somehow blocked out part of his vision and his common sense, as he had sprinted right into the cell bars. The speed, force, and pain was enough to land him flat on his back, hands on his head, howling in agony, kicking his legs in the air. "Awww! Who put those there?"

Minnie's smile vanished, never having any idea of the sort of impact it made on him, as the entire course of his shock and desire lasted mere seconds. Once more, laughter escaped her, and this time, it was even harder. What a stupid pirate! Just what in the world had he been trying to do, escape? It was so dumb that she felt it was all right to laugh, and knew when she would inevitably tell her friends later, they would laugh as well.

As for Mickey, he was far too invested in his own pain to listen to her piano keys of laughter. It was all her fault! That darn, spunky, loony, beautifully smiling lass who he did not care one doubloon for!

**End Of Chapter Two.**


	3. Lust Versus LWord

Welcome to chapter three! Again, major thanks to my friend Lies for editing this.

* * *

><p>At the end of that second week, Minnie was still confused about a great number of things concerning Mickey. His childish attitude bordered on the immature, and he showed points of concern to her that no one else had. It confused her so greatly that she stopped talking to her friends about what went on down in the cells. She had suddenly become worried what they might think of these conversations and revelations. They might think, heaven forbid, that the two mice had become friends! Nonsense to even consider it, but she decided to play it safe.<p>

However, there was one thing she was absolutely sure about him. It was with this certainty that on the end of that week, she had dragged down a small bucket of water, and soap she had taken from her bathroom. She opened the cell, plopped the bucket and soap down, and then closed the cell shut. Once it was locked, she told him the absolute sure thing. "You smell."

It wasn't the worst thing he had even told, but it was enough to make him stare. "What?"

"You smell." She repeated, and sat down in her usual position, her back towards him. "And I can't stand it anymore. If I have to guard you, I want to be able to breathe." She had also brought down a pocket mirror and a hairbrush, but she'd wait until he was finished to hand those over. For now, she'd attend to her own looks, since all of the chores and watching over him had left little time to make herself pretty. She flipped the mirror open, and began brushing along the sides of her head, trying to make her spitcurls even curlier.

"Loon." Mickey muttered, untying the bandana on his head. "And I don't smell…" Though he did take a whiff of his armpit when he lifted his hat off, and the stench there was unfavorable. Not that he would admit it. However, the real reason for his reluctance was respect. Men just didn't undress in front of women unless they were a couple or a family, and of course these Mickey and Minnie were neither. Women were delicate, sensitive creatures, and it wasn't right for a man to expose himself like this. On the other hand, if he didn't at least make an effort, he was sure Minnie would start another argument, which was the last thing he wanted.

Even if she wasn't looking at him, it didn't sit with him to undress all the way, and so in minutes, he was only wearing his pants. He took the soap, dipped it in the water, but after a few minutes of scrubbing his arm, a new scent was picked up. He sniffed the soap, and his face soured. "What is this?"

"Soap." Duh. "Don't tell me you've never heard of - "

"I know what soap is!" He interrupted her, not wanting his intelligence to be attacked for once. "But this one smells like… flowers, or somethin'. I can't go 'round smellin' like a girl!"

"You're not going around anywhere, so what does it matter?" she shrugged, her nose up in the air with a snooty air. "I'll have you know I had to grab my own, I couldn't just borrow it from someone else or they'd ask. So be grateful." It smelt of lilacs, to be precise, and she always enjoyed that scent. She did have extra bars on board, and had no intentions of using this one after he was done with it.

Mickey grunted, but resumed his wash. Just how much of his dignity had she stolen from him? Maybe she was a better thief than him. He swore, if anyone ever found out that he was using a girl's frilly scented soap, then…

His brain suddenly stopped in his tracks. This was her soap, and judging by the shape of it, she had physically used it before. He was now using something all over his body that had once been all over her bare, naked, wet body. Images swam to his head in an instant, along with those strange desires of holding her and that lovely smile of hers. It was a severe rush, as he had never given thought to females in that regard before. Sure, he had some though prettier than others, but they were more hassles than anything else.

Now Minnie was hassling him, in his head, being all pretty and soapy and – and –_Guh_ – Gosh – Uh –

'_Captain, would you mind washing my back?'_

He grabbed the bucket and quickly dumped it over his head, and much to his relief, it was ice cold. Breathing hard, he forced his mind to think of something else – anything else! Kicked puppies, open wounds, his crew member One-Eyed Pete taking a shower…

Minnie heard the splash, and shook her head. Once again, he was being a complete slob. Why use up all that water at once? If he thought she was going to leave and get more, he had another thing coming. The washing continued in silence, as they attended to their own grooming. Eventually Minnie tilted the mirror to try and get a different angle, and accidentally caught him in the reflection.

He was wearing an absurd expression, one eyelid twitching and his face red, as if he was having some sort of internal conflict. It was just a bath! He really was like a child, disliking baths for no good reason, and need to be told by his mommy to have one.

She was his mommy? She stifled a groan, feeling her own dignity being chopped to pieces at that comparison. But he did seem the type needing to be taken care of. How he had managed to survive on his own thus far was a miracle. He was so brash with his words, and so impulsive with his actions. It was annoying, and irritating, and the more she looked at her face, the worse her emotions got. So she tried to move her eyes downward to calm down.

It did calm her anger, but it did not calm her down entirely. He might have the mind and personality of a little boy, but his body was a grown man. A lean figure, dark fur, strong hands, and healed scars of past battles. She stopped brushing herself as she watched him. The male anatomy was not something she ever paid attention to, since she had shoved aside all notions of love and romance and such silly things long ago. Sure, some men were more handsome than others, but so what? Good looks helped no one, except to trick weak-minded people.

Weak, though, was an apt description of her mind in that moment. His hands running over himself, traces of muscle from the soap, all of this was capturing her attention and refusing to let it go. The weather outside had dropped temperatures lately, getting much cooler. Inside the ship, Minnie was feeling too warm, sweating in her uniform. She shot her eyes up, back to his face, desperate to stop her fast heart, but, really, come to think of it, the face wasn't that bad either. Devious eyes, a smile that could be devastatingly charming, a cute voice that was asking her to come over there and wash his back –

"_Yeeek_!" She threw the mirror at the wall as she shrieked, her mind leaping off the tracks and crashing to a halt. Ew, ew, ew, ew! What was wrong with her? The mirror cracked as it hit the wall, and when it fell, it reflected two surprised mice.

Mickey paused in his wash, hearing the yell. Looking over at her, he asked with concern. "What's wrong? What happened? Everythin' okay?"

"Wash your own back!" She held her head, shaking as hard as she could make it, trying to physically shoo away those horrid thoughts. Get out, get out, get out!

Mickey had asked nothing of the sort, though he had to wonder for a split second if she had read his mind. He gulped hard, and looked back away. Crazy girl! She had no business being in his head!

All right, so the two could admit the other was somewhat attractive. But that was all! If given enough time, they surely could find someone prettier and more handsome. Though that was hard to imagine, and their imaginations were already overworking themselves.

* * *

><p>That night, the chat with the girls was different, because Daisy was running late. When she finally ran into the room, her arms were filled with papers, and she slammed them on the floor, beginning to divide them up among the girls. She didn't give them any time to question. "Captain Amelia just got these from our intelligence agents, and I copied them faster than you can say 'Captain Mickey!'"<p>

Minnie's head lifted, one particular word standing out. "Captain?"

Daisy knelt down, as Clarabelle and Millie tried to read as fast as Daisy was talking. "That's right! That little guy is the captain of an entire crew… call themselves the Mouseketeers. They're a fairly new gang, only showed up during the past year, but they've got some real famous men." She slapped down wanted posters, displaying an artist's quick glance at the accused men. Millie gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, and Clarabelle pointed at two of the posters.

"So they've shown up again…" The cow muttered, and leaned back when she got inquisitive looks from Daisy and Minnie. "Goofy and One-Eyed-Pete." Minnie recognized the first poster she was tapping a finger on, the same lanky dog from the museum that had threatened everyone there. The second was a fat cat with one normal eye and his other eyed placed with mechanics and glass, making it appear greener and smaller. "Millie and Horace and I… we grew up with these guys. No surprise to me that they turned up as thugs. Millie and I ran into Goofy a few times last year." Millie nodded accordingly, quiet.

"What about Mickey?" Minnie slid off of her bed, trying to take a few papers and read the reports. "Are you sure he's the captain? He doesn't seem very… captain-ish." Which was putting it nicely.

Daisy held up Mickey's wanted poster, though it made his eyes smaller and his nose larger than reality. His bounty was more than her parents could ever earn in their lifetime, combined! Daisy put it in Minnie's hands, and read off other papers. "That wasn't the only heist he's done… he and his crew specialize in robberies and infiltration. He's got a single charge of kidnapping, holding a member of the A.R.M.Y. for ransom, which was paid, and so the guy was released, no harm done…" Daisy then trailed off, peculiarity in her voice. "…Huh. Let me…" She began flipping through pages again, eyes scanning the words. "…That can't be right…"

Minnie crawled up to Daisy on the floor, trying to read over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"I'm looking over all of his charges." Daisy explained, now tossing aside what she already read. "There's the usual stuff, treason, kidnapping, robbery, but… I can't find any murder charges." That got the attention of the other girls, and now Minnie, Millie, and Clarabelle were behind Daisy, trying to read the same charges. "He's hurt people, but never enough to kill. At least, I can't find any yet."

"Let me see that." Clarabelle tore a page out of Daisy's hand, much to the duck's annoyance. "Oh, get a load of this… says here that apparently the captain's made some sort of vow not to take life, and enforces it on his crew."

"I bet that'll last long." Daisy yanked it back with sarcasm.

Millie timidly tried to raise her voice. "Um, well… no one got killed during the museum heist…"

"That's just a coincidence!" Daisy snapped, not liking to be proved wrong. "You've fought pirates longer than I have, Millie, you know they're all bloodthirsty! They don't keep vows, they don't make promises, they'd cut your throat the second you got a chance!" She drew a finger across her throat to make it clear. "You have no idea how scared I get for Minnie when she gets down there to guard that wretch!"

"Scared over what?" Clarabelle snorted, and soon began to have a tug of war with Daisy over the papers. "He doesn't have any weapons down there! What, he'll strangle her with his yo-yo?"

"It could happen! Quit pulling, you'll tear them!"

The two began to argue, while Mille cleaning up the fallen papers. Minnie ignored the usual fight, instead looking at Mickey's wanted poster. A vow to never kill, despite being a pirate? It sounded so very childish, and thus, very like Mickey. In fact, Minnie couldn't imagine Mickey killing anyone. She recalled their battle, when he had done his very best not to harm her. He was a thief, and nothing more.

She began going through the papers, or at least what Daisy and Clarabelle hadn't torn in their new fight, which had somehow turned into what toys were more lethal. It turned out 'Mickey' was an alias, his real name unknown. The first theft with which he'd made himself known to the world was robbing a pet store and stealing dogs. Minnie recalled Mickey mentioning he had a dog and gawked in surprise. His first act of piracy was a pet store? Why would anyone want to be in the crew of this kid?

There was nothing about his life before that, as nothing could be found. A guess was made at his age, somewhere in his twenties. The name of his ship kept changing almost every month. At one time it was The Arabian Nights, and another time it was The Jiminy Cricket. Firsthand accounts from A.R.M.Y. members who fought him said he was usually cheery in battle, treating the crimes like games. One even said that Mickey personally handed back a case of diamond-encrusted watches because the troop had given such a good fight.

"Minnie?" The voice that stopped her reading was Millie, who was looking at her with concern. "Are you okay? You've been quiet."

Minnie bit on her lip before answering, for once grateful that the others were fighting and ignoring her. "… I'm fine." She offered a smile. "Just a little strange, you know… to see pirates as people."

Millie smiled in return, neatly piling the paper remains in a pile in front of her. "It's your first capture. You'll get used to it. Once we drop him off at Alcatraz in two weeks, you won't have to see him or think about him anymore. You won't even have to leave the ship."

Minnie put the wanted poster on top of the pile. "That's just fine with me." Yet she stared at the poster a little longer as she put it down.

Piracy warranted execution, no matter how child-like the crimes.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Minnie rushed through all of her chores as fast as she could. Though it did result in some mistakes, Amelia let it slide, figuring Minnie was just getting a case of cabin fever. It happened to many girls when they had their first long trip. Minnie's real fever was of a different sort, and she almost tripped down the stairs in her speed. Mickey had been sitting down, practicing old tricks with his yo-yo, when her near collapse caught his ears. He looked toward her as she came right up to his cell, almost out of breath.<p>

"Yer early, turtledove." He quipped, eyebrows raised.

She grabbed the bars, already angry. "What's wrong with you!"

"… And a good morning to ye too." She had told him repeated times not to call her that, which always meant he would have to do it more, but she'd never snapped so harshly at it.

"Is this some kind of game to you?" She continued to yell, almost pressing her face to the bars. "A pet store? A vow not to kill? Giving treasure back? You're not a pirate, you're just a…" She fumbled for the right word. "A-a-a thief, a common thief!"

Mickey yanked the yo-yo back, and stuffed it into his pocket. He began to rise to his feet. "Dunno about common…"

She let out a quick groan that he didn't understand. "Pirates are executed, thieves aren't! If you had just done this stuff on your own, if you never attacked a ship, you wouldn't be on your way to die!" One unofficial ship against an official ship to steal was the single defining factor of piracy. There were charges of that in his reports, but he had done more stealing and robberies on land then in the sea and in the air.

"Little too late for that now, huh?" He shrugged, hands in his pockets. "I couldn't do those numbers alone, so I got a crew. And ships are fulla goodies, so I robbed 'em. Simple as that."

"If you needed money, you didn't have to resort to being a pirate!" Her anger and voice rose, demanding reason to be listened to. "Alcatraz doesn't care if you don't hurt anybody, they care about piracy! You had a choice!"

Now his own temper flared, and he shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. "Ye gunn go on ta me about choices? Little Minerva Rodawn?" It felt disgusting to even say, leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

She shoved herself away from the bars, aghast. "What? That's entirely different!" She crossed her arms under her chest, and a glaring contest began between the two of them.

He walked up to the bars, until there was no space left. "Yer all gung-go about being a N.A.V.Y. girl, and yet yer willin' ta leave it all behind just because of a ring?"

She grabbed the bars again, as it turned into a shouting match. "I'm talking about the difference between life and death! A hanging and prison! When you chose to attack a ship, you chose to die!"

"I _chose_ it! That's the life I wanted!" He grabbed the bars as well, his hands above hers. "A short life of my choosin' is better than the prison yer family is settin' up fer ye! How can ye do this to yerself?"

"My parents want what's best for me, and I love them more than I love the N.A.V.Y.!" She gripped the bars even harder, feeling she could have shook them were she strong enough.

"Why aren't they showin' ye the same kinda love!" He was nearly hissing in his rage. "If they're so lovin' to ye, why don't they let ye do what ye love! Yer _good_ at this, Minnie!"

That one made her pull back, but only a little, anger not diminished. "What do you mean?" It was another thing she had never been told by her friends, or anyone else for that matter. People told her that she could be good at her job, or that she would be good in the future. None had said she was good in the present. Considering all of her screw-ups and lack of experience, she had never found this odd.

He let go of the bars with one hand to jab a thumb at himself. "Ye took me down without any help! Ye didn't know about me vow, ye didn't know who I was or what I could do! But ye went after me yerself, and ye caught me! Ye stopped me! Yer good at this, it's what ye were meant ta do! If ye love it and yer good at it, why are ye lettin' it go?"

The refusal to answer was accompanied by a hard stomp of her foot, needing to outlet her rage by more than just screaming. "Why do you care what I do with my life?"

The yell was fired back at once. "Why do ye care whether I live or die?"

"Because!" She exhaled hard, and then, bitterly, lowered her head, loosening her grip on the bars. "Because…" Reason deflated her anger, her eyes screwed shut, and her voice became quiet. "Because… it's not fair." She had joined a proud tradition that put away murderers and scum of the earth, not executing the slightly innocent. She didn't want to be a part of something that felt wrong in every sense of the word. "Y-You… don't deserve to die. Not you."

How own rage began to diminish as well, as he regretted creating her sadness. He watched her face for a little longer, and his voice took on a soft murmur. "Thank ye."

What could he possibly be thanking her for? Weren't they just arguing and ready to bite each other's heads off? When her head came up, her eyes were tearing up, and Mickey regretting not having a handkerchief for her. Minnie pretended her eyes weren't wet. "For what?"

"Fer caring." He tilted his head with a smile. "No one else is gunna bat an eyelash with me gone." Could he convey just how much that meant to him? He could only hope, his body sagging onto the bars. Every denied tear was an appreciation he was treasuring.

Yet she shook her head, balling her fists up to her eyes. "I-I'm not supposed to bat an eyelash! Why am I the only one who cares, and everyone… everyone is just fine with this!" A choked sob escaped her, recalling how her friends had so casually said he was bound to kill. Even Millicent, the mother of the friends, always prone to tears and so gentle, had said she would 'get used to it'. "I'm not supposed to care." There was the conflict, that she cared so deeply and felt this was wrong, but on the other hand, if she was the only one caring, she must be doing this wrong and wasn't fit to be in the N.A.V.Y. She wanted to help, but helping made her weak.

"That such a bad thing?" His tongue clicked to his teeth, trying to get her attention and make her look at him. It worked for the moment. "Maybe this whole business could use more people like us… ones with heart." The mention of 'us' made her quiet. Any other time, perhaps even just yesterday, she would have flat-out denied the comparison and ignored him the rest of the day. But now it wasn't such a daft thing to contemplate. He had vowed to never take a life, and she didn't want to see death fall upon such slight crimes. Life was a sacred thing to them both and not up to their hands to take it.

Mickey reached through the bars, and, in a gentle, slow motion, dragged his thumb across Minnie's cheek, wiping away a tear that had managed to fall. To see her cry over him was both painful and beautiful, for he detested creating such sadness, and felt a sense of worth to be cared over so much. "Ye gotta stay in this, turtledove… take down the real bad ones out there. It's what yer good at."

She swallowed hard, allowing the hand to stay there, not wanting to acknowledge that she was crying. "Don't… don't you care about your own life? Your family, your friends, your crew…" As she mentioned them, she noticed nothing changed in his eyes. Did no one really care about him as she now did? How was that possible? Even if pirates were prone to back stabbing, Mickey had been stubborn in refusing to name any of his crewmates, which showed some sense of brotherhood. Was the same not given back to him? His cheery attitude, his jokes and his childish mannerisms, someone on his ship had to find that endearing enough to miss him.

Or, perhaps she was seeing it the wrong way, as she unconsciously leaned her cheek into his hand. It wasn't a matter of people caring about his life. It was a matter of him caring about his own, and that he felt his life to be so worthless that he didn't mind losing it for such unreasonable circumstances. He had nothing to live for, and fought so hard for her future because he didn't care about his own. The feelings of unfairness and injustice weighed heavily on her, and rolled down more tears for him to touch. She sucked in air through her teeth, trying to find a feasible argument to make, but knew it was useless. He was headed for death, and there were no exceptions for pirate execution. If she tried to reason with her friends or Amelia, she'd be locked up for insubordination. Everything was already set in stone.

Their eyes met and locked in, unable to find strength to look away. What had been just another pirate and just another N.A.V.Y. troop had been humanized into Mickey and Minnie. Physical attraction, revealing conversations, and even all of their arguments had strengthened their image in the other's mind. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, prevent her from ever feeling sadness and pain again, and keep that incredibly beautiful smile on her for all ages. She wanted to set him on the right path, give him a different and better purpose in life, and show him that all life was precious including his own. They cared.

But there was nothing to be done about it. When her tears finally stopped, he asked what the weather was like, and she told him it was sunny. It was business as usual after that.

* * *

><p>That night, before going to meet up with Minnie, Daisy was in her room and going through her old letters, trying to memorize who belonged to what. When she was satisfied, she sat in her chair, twisting the engagement ring on her finger, which was an odd habit she had picked up ever since she'd gotten it. She didn't know why she felt a compulsive need to twist it every so often, but didn't dwell on the matter too much. She then adjusted the mirror on her desk, admiring her reflection. Time for some practice.<p>

"Oh, Donald, that letter was so sweet." She cooed, fluttering her eyelashes as she imagined the future scenario. "When you write about your nephews, it's the sweetest thing. You're always so caring and giving." She patted her heart and gave an adorable sigh. She then suddenly shook her head, flipping hr hair back, and went for a more sultry appearance. "Gladstone, darling, you shouldn't have! A pendant _and _a necklace? You're impossible!" This was followed by a quick laugh, containing more of her throat. After that was Andold, then Jose, and more and more boys that she gave her affections to, making sure she didn't mix what they said in their letters for what the others said in theirs.

It wasn't cheating, in her twisted logic. She was engaged to Donald, and fully intended to marry him. She was saving her body for marriage, but what harm was there in kisses and being held? She was beautiful, and if men wanted to reward her beauty, who was she to deny them? Donald knew full well about her flings, yet he still wanted to marry her. To her, that meant she could still have all the fun she wanted.

As she practiced Donald's scene again, she twisted the ring.

* * *

><p>That night, before going to meet up with Minnie, Clarabelle was in her room and steadying the punching bag that she had been allowed to take to her room. She practiced hard, as she did every night, punching and kicking as hard as her body would allow. Weapons were fine and useful, but they were always getting outdated and updated. The best weapon to rely on was your own body, and so Clarabelle worked hard to fine tone it to perfection. The other advantage was venting out all of her anger and frustration physically so she could argue less with her friends. Lately, she felt she had plenty to vent.<p>

She didn't have the heart to tell Daisy that sometimes pirates didn't kill. She had helped plenty of men who had no blood on their hands meet their maker, and by now, the guilt had died away. But on some level, it disgusted her that she felt no guilt. Yes, this was her job, and there were some things worse than death. However, the lack of guilt often made her wonder if she was becoming more like the very men she hunted down. The moral dilemma was enough to give her nightmares… aside from her usual ones, the ones that came with her before she even joined the N.A.V.Y.…

Those of heat, of black and red and orange, of screaming and creaking, with no air and smog and the very presence of death strangling her as she watched her friend collapse…

Clarabelle forced her eyes open, leaning on the punching bag. The sweat that was beading up, was it from the thought of that time, or her exercise? Swallowing, she wiped her forehead with the back of her arm. If Horace was here, he'd tell her everything was all right, and that she had nothing to be guilty over. He always had his ways to cheer her up and reassure her that she was doing the right thing. No, he wouldn't tell her to feel guilty. No matter what she had done to him and anyone else.

She sighed, exhausted.

* * *

><p>That night, before going to meet up with Minnie, Millie was in her room and sweeping the floor. She checked, checked again, checked a hundred times to make sure she hadn't left any pieces of broken glass on the floor. She felt she could never be too careful, but after the thousandth sweep, she decided that all of the glass had been trashed. Placing the broom aside, she took the photo that had once belonged in a cute little frame, but now would have to lie in the open until a new one could be found. Curse her own clumsiness, she liked that frame!<p>

At least the photo wasn't damaged. She laid it flat on her desk, and smoothed it down. It was one of the few things left of her own childhood, and thus had become wrinkled and discolored in time. The photo was of Millie and her friends in their old hometown, sitting on the porch of Horace's home. His father had been the one to take it, insisting that the kids dress nicely and behave for once. Millie was six – maybe seven? – and was smiling nervously to the camera, not sure she was doing it right. George Geef was to her right, now known as Goofy. To her left was Clarabelle, and next to her was Horace, next to him Pete Black, now known as One-Eyed Pete. Next to Pete was Peggy Sue, though if you ever called her by her full name, it was a guaranteed black eye. Millie wasn't sure what happened to her.

Millie sat down, looking at this photo and letting her mind wander. Should she tell Clarabelle she still had it? Clarabelle had always been angry when the subject of the old hometown came up, because of the betrayal George and Pete had done by becoming pirates. Despite what they were doing now, Millie always thought their childhood was wonderful. There had been summers of catching fireflies, pinky promises in barns, and inklings of first loves. But Millie didn't want to argue with Clarabelle, so once again she decided to keep the existence of the photo a secret.

She folded the photo up, and slid it down in her pocket for safe keeping. When they got back on land, she'd have to buy a new frame as soon as possible. She'd also have to start come up with better ways to lie. If the girls found out about her lover…

Oh, gosh, her _lover_! She really thought that word, didn't she? But he was, wasn't he? So flustered she became by her own admittance that when she rushed up to stand, her legs tangled in the chair, and she fell over in a blushing heap.

* * *

><p>That night, fully aware that girls were sneaking out to see Minnie but allowing it anyway, Captain Amelia Doppler was in the captain's quarters, breathing intensely. She was sitting in her bathroom, almost sprawled out on the tile, a hand on her forehead. She had just found out that now she could add the scent of candle wax to the list of things that would upset her stomach. That list was getting irritatingly long. Once her breath was caught, she forced herself to stand, and went to her sink, washing her face and teeth, scrubbing hard so that no smell would remain.<p>

Afterwards, she looked at her reflection, and placed a hand on her stomach. Maybe the next time they were on land, she could get extra repairs on The Hawkins, and make her entire chambers soundproof. She wasn't sure if anyone could hear her retching outside of her room, but she wanted to be absolutely sure. Logically, she knew she had nothing to be embarrassed over. She was going through something momentous, and the end result would be worth it. If her girls found out, they might understand.

Logic always battled with pride, however, and her pride would not allow knowledge of this to be shared. Right now, she looked absolutely pathetic, and not fitting to lead anyone. The girls needed her to be strong, and so for their sake, she would keep up the charade of perfect health. She couldn't bear to disappoint them. A mother needed to provide a good role model for her daughters.

She would have thought that metaphor amusing had not her stomach started to churn again.

* * *

><p>That night, long after the girls had chatted and left to their own rooms to sleep, Minnie was wide awake in bed. She was tired, emotionally and physically, so normally she should have been sound asleep. Instead she was staring up at the ceiling, arms flat at her side. Something dreadful was happening on this ship, and she couldn't tell a soul. She couldn't even admit to herself, for every time she tried, she had started screaming and kicking and telling herself what a stupid fool she was. If she admitted it, inside and out loud, that would make it real, and she could not allow that to happen.<p>

Maybe if she took it one step at a time, she wouldn't lose her senses. Inhaling deeply, in and out, she closed her eyes to start rationalizing. Mickey was attractive, in the physical sense. All right, she could admit that. Clarabelle had often mentioned booking away some handsome pirates, saying it was such a shame to let those looks go to waste. Daisy always encouraged a healthy appetite for men, insisting that Minnie 'play the market'. Millie… well, Millie was kind of useless in this regard, as when a man who wasn't a pirate touched her, she flipped and wanted to go into hiding. So it was perfectly valid to say that Mickey was a physically attractive person. She admitted that on the inside, and then felt comfortable to say it out loud. "Mickey… is good looking." So far, so good.

Now with the looks established, she could move onto personality. He wasn't the brightest fellow around, but perhaps he just didn't have the chance for a good education as he grew up. His ways about women and love were old fashioned, but they seemed to be made with the best intentions. He was funny, able to make her laugh intentionally and otherwise, and he had shown signs of cleverness. He wasn't bright, but his boyish charm more than made up for what he couldn't do intelligently. So it was perfectly valid to say that Mickey had a good personality. "Mickey… can be a good guy."

He was attractive and could be endearing, but then, so were many other pirates, and they could still be terrible people. So was about to go onto the next step, when she caught a glint of her engagement ring out of the corner of her eye. The glint turned harsher, as if it was trying to glare at her, and judged her. What exactly was she trying to justify, and why was she doing it? He was a pirate, he was going to die, and that should have been the end of it. If she was trying to say it was okay to call him nice, then she was sending a nice man to die, and that would be eat her inside forever. The glint continued, knowing that while that issue was important, it wasn't the big issue plaguing her.

The big issue was the way he reached out to brush her tears away. It was the way he asked with genuine concern what she wanted for her future. It was the way he sang and danced and made jokes and brought life to that dreary old cell. It was the way he pushed her buttons while making her want him to tear them off her uniform with his teeth. It was everything about him and everything that had happened since they first fought. It was that she had deeply, passionately, desperately, sadly, longingly began to l-

"_No_!" She shrieked, and jolted upright in bed. "No I don't!" She turned over on her bed, and began punching her pillow, flailing about in her anguish. "He's stupid and he's ugly and he's awful and he's sexist and he's a jerk! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" With each way she hated him she punched, hard enough to make her pillow tear. Yet even as feathers began to escape from the pillow, she continued punching, needing to make herself believe it, make the ring believe it, and make the whole world believe it. That terrible word that began with l, it had no place in her head. She would not let that l word surface ever again.

When the pillow had become a flat mass and couldn't take any more damage, she sat on her hands and knees, staring at the damage. It was time to rationalize again. She had never felt that l-word before, and never needed to use it outside of family and friends. By that logic, she would have no idea when she actually felt it, since she had never been in… in 'l-word'. She just could not allow the full word to form, as she was terrified to give it power. What did she know about the l-word? Nothing, so she could not say for sure whether she knew it was in her or not. By all means, it wasn't. She'd know if she was, wouldn't she? Wasn't that the kind of thing one automatically knew?

She sat on her knees, looking down at her pajamas. Even rookies were allowed to have pajamas that had pants. They were regulation pajamas that everyone wore, with blue and white stripes. Even in sleep, she was still a member of the N.A.V.Y. Even in sleep, she was the number one enemy of all pirates. Another logical fact rationalized itself as she looked at herself. All pirates hated the N.A.V.Y., just as all N.A.V.Y. hated the pirates. Mickey would never feel the… the l-word towards her.

Which… which was fine with her, of course… yes, why would he? He had no reason to. Sympathy maybe, pity probably, but the l-word? That stupid word, it was really no wonder she had lived her life doing her best to avoid it. She was better off without it. She laid back down, and although sleep was difficult, it still came to her.

* * *

><p>Mickey flicked his yo-yo over and over, not tired. He was used to staying up long nights to pull off successful thefts. There was also the fact of a sweet lass running through his mind. He smiled to himself, practicing the 'around the world' trick. "Sunny days." He murmured to himself. "A few more a those, and everythin' should go right on track… on their end, at least…" He smiled, knowing that his plans had been severely altered, but that's what made life fun. Oh yes, she was a lot of fun.<p>

He slowed down his tricks, deciding he had practiced enough for one night. Instead, he just closed his eyes, and let his imagination and memories mix, wearing a foolish grin he wasn't aware he was capable of. "Sunny days…"

**End of Chapter Three.**


	4. Purpose Versus Prisoner

Again, major thanks to my friend Lies for editing. The character of Liliac is not mine or Disney's, but in fact belongs to 'Twisted Wind', as a thanks to her kind words and lovely things she's done for me. Those who read my Disney Storybits might recognize the last scene, but since then it's been heavily edited to fit the story. Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

><p>Cleaning up a museum was hard work, especially when it had suffered from a robbery, and when the owner was far too miserly to hire professionals to do the job. Donald Duck was one of the few men Scrooge McDuck was paying below minimum wage to clean up and check over the treasures, as family members were among the only people he trusted. Donald was irritable over this deal, but considering his bad luck with employment lately, he couldn't complain too much. It had been several weeks since the robbery, and only now did Donald get to the eighth floor to inspect and clean up. To his good fortune, only one section appeared damaged, and even then it was only damaged by two people.<p>

From what he remembered, only one pirate had been on this floor, and he had been the only arrest as well. Donald dragged the broom behind him, hoping to get rid of the broken glass first to avoid any injuries to his webbed feet. As he swept through the damage, questions ran through his mind that almost everyone had been thinking about this case. What did any pirate want with old diaries and outdated maps? Pirates weren't known for being bookworms. He paused in his work, looking at the single broken display case.

Below it was one of the diaries, perhaps what the pirate had been looking at before his capture. Leaning his broom against a wall, Donald picked it up, and began flipping through the pages. What was in here that was more valuable than everything on the lower floors? The first few pages were illegible, written in such sloppy cursive that it strained Donald's eyes to even read them. It was if they were written in delirious excitement, and needed to written down right away. It took a few more tries, but Donald did manage to find a page he could read.

'… **And it appears this crystal works as a sort of battery. Though further experimentations may tell me otherwise, right now it appears it can run to the infinite. We've only located one so far, and there are no signs or traces of more crystals in the immediate area. However, one of my men doesn't appear to be working as hard, and I'm starting to suspect he's hiding something. I'd like to believe I'm being strictly paranoid, but after seeing what this crystal can do the mind-'**

"Donald Fauntleroy Duck?"

Donald almost jumped out of his feathers, and dropped the book to the floor in surprise. Whipping his head to the entrance of the wing, the man who had called his name looked highly amused by the shock. He too was a duck, but his beak was longer, and he looked to be nearly in his thirties, if Donald had to guess. He was dressed in a clean-cut suit, colored green and brown. He walked toward Donald, careful to avoid the remaining glass. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Donald rolled his shoulders, deeply embarrassed that he'd been spooked. "…Who wants to know?"

"My name's Drake Mallard." He offered a hand to shake, which Donald reluctantly shook. "You're McDuck's nephew, right?" But he interrupted Donald and continued speaking. "Eighteen years old, recently engaged to a Miss Daisy, and you've never held down a steady job for more than a month… outside of working for your uncle, anyway. You've tried to join the A.R.M.Y. at least five times, and they always reject you, on account of your bad temper."

Donald pulled his hand back swiftly. "My temper's just fine! They don't know what they're talking about! I never lost my temper, everybody loves me!" He stomped to get his broom, growling miserably under his breath.

"… Yeah, I can't imagine where they would get the idea." Sarcasm aside, Drake put his hands into his pockets. "You wanted to join the A.R.M.Y to make the world a better place… or maybe impress your girlfriend. Or both." He shrugged a shoulder, not caring which. "The A.R.M.Y. may not want you, but I think you've got potential for something much bigger, without all the legal loopholes to jump through."

Donald resumed sweeping, now quiet. He did glance at Drake, though, as he cleaned.

Drake smiled. "I think you could be of great help to me and my little…" he trailed off, trying to find the best word, clicking his tongue. "…organization. We want to sweep piracy off the map, but the A.R.M.Y. and the N.A.V.Y. only go after the big names. But all pirates get help from somewhere, and these days, if you've got enough cash, you can pay a pirate crew to do your dirty work for you." He picked up the fallen diary, and put it back in its proper place. "That's what happened here."

Donald stopped his sweeping, befuddled at that declaration. "The pirates were paid to break in here? For what? And how do you know that?"

Drake leaned in, eyebrows raised. "I have my sources… sources that you can have access to, if you join us. You want to fight the bad guys? Help people out? Make the world a better place for your sweetheart? Then just hear me out."

Donald tapped his fingers on the broom, and then frowned. "Do you want me for my uncle's money? I can't just finance whatever you want, you would not believe how stingy that miserable old - "

"Relax, will you?" Drake rolled his eyes, able to see where the A.R.M.Y. got their impression from. "Maybe from time to time we might ask for a loan… solving crimes can get pricey. But it'll be a drop of water in his ocean. So are you going to hear me out or not?"

Donald's eyes darted back and forth. There were so many reasons to tell this Mallard fellow where he could stick this offer, but on the other hand, the reasons not to were just as appealing. Mulling it over, he lowered the broom. "…An organization, huh?"

Drake visibly relaxed, and lowered his voice. "We're called the Justice Ducks."

* * *

><p>There was one week to go before The Hawkins would meet its destination at Alcatraz. Daisy, Clarabelle and Millie had noticed that over the course of the voyage, Minnie's mood had fluctuated between strange happiness and deep sadness. They had their own guesses, ranging from cabin fever to her first pirate execution drop off. At the beginning of this week, Daisy had decided to abandon her post for just a little while in order to visit Minnie down in the cells. The poor dear must be terribly bored down there, and could use the company. Not to mention Daisy would use any excuse she had to avoid working too long on her feet. However, as she began to descend the stairs, she heard a sound she had never heard in prison cells before. It was singing, coming from Minnie.<p>

Daisy stopped where she was, trying to hide as she watched down below. From what she could see, Minnie was sitting down, facing the cell, hands on her knees as she sang. Mickey was standing in his cell, using his fingers as conductor's batons, laughing merrily as he guided her along. The song was a sea shanty the girls had once taught to Minnie, having learned it from pirates they captured. "But now, thank God, we're home again and landed safe on shore…"

"Less of the throat, turtledove!" Mickey announced, and patted his stomach. "Gotta come from lower!"

Minnie took a quick breath, trying to obey the instructions as she continued. "Back unto Cook's Harbour to the girl whom I adore…"

"That's it, that's it! Now bring it on home!"

"Where I found Mary waiting, so loving, kind and free, and now we live in unity, but her I cannot see." She finished with a proud nod, smiling from ear to ear.

Mickey clapped hard, over and over laughing again now that the song was over. "Now that was much better! Shoulda been a choir girl, or maybe on the radio…"

Minnie chuckled quietly, her cheeks catching a faint pink as she played with one of her spitcurls. "Now you're just saying that…"

Mickey pounded his chest, making for a false serious look. "Pirate's honor on that."

"Sounds like an oxymoron." The joke caused them both to laugh again, and Mickey sat down to catch his breath, sides splitting. Neither of their tones contained any hint of maliciousness or ill will, and they were all smiles. If one didn't know the history behind these mice, someone could have walked in on what could be seen as friends having a good time. Daisy sat on the step, rubbing the sides of her head, trying to see if she was hearing right. Minnie and Mickey were getting along? How, why, when?

When Mickey had calmed down enough, he began to finger his yo-yo. "But I was tellin' the truth… nice voice and all… why didn't ye try to get into showbiz?"

Minnie shook her head, ready to dismiss the matter as soon as possible. "Because I didn't want to. I never want to be a singer, or a star, or anything like that. I've wanted to be in the N.A.V.Y. since I was a little girl. It's a proud family tradition."

Mickey played with his toy, but kept his eyes on her. "Family footsteps, huh… gotta follow the tradition or else?"

Minnie frowned, crossing her arms. "Of course not! Not everyone can join the N.A.V.Y., even if your family's been in there for generations. They accept skill, not blood." Her back straightened, trying to get back into the role of the stoic guard, doling out only facts and not emotion. "Almost every woman in my family has joined, and I grew up on their stories."

He raised an eyebrow. "Almost every woman?"

Her eyes lowered, slightly uncomfortably. "…My mother couldn't join. She's always been too sick."

Mickey nodded, remembering the letter. "…Tryin' ta make up for what mum couldn't do?"

A groan came from Minnie, and her tail flicked, displeased. "Why are you always looking for excuses for me? I can do things because I want to, you know! I joined because I wanted to. End of story."

"Sorry, turtledove." Though he wasn't too sorry, judging from his smile.

"And another thing!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I've you to stop calling me that! If you can't spit out Private Minerva Mouse, could you at least give me a Minnie?"

"Aw, but I like turtledove!" He grinned, his gold teeth glinting and highlighting his game. "It's a compliment, aint it? Lil birdie that tweets all cute."

Minnie stood up, and began to walk up to the cell. She stopped in front of the bars, looming over him. "Repeat after me. Minnie."

Mickey glanced up at her, and then slowly stood up as well, meeting her. "Turtledove."

Minnie glared, yet oddly her voice didn't sound angrier, only annoyed. "Miiin-eee."

He put his arms behind his back, leaning in as close as he could, face touching the bars. "Tuuurtledooove."

She grabbed the bars. "Minnie!"

He grabbed them as well, keeping his tone calm. "Turtledove."

"Minnie! Minnie, Minnie, Minnie!"

"Turtledove, the most turtle of any dove that has ever… turtled." If he had to make up words to win this argument, so be it. They continued spitting the names back and forth, leaning in closer and closer and trying to break the other's will. Daisy would have started laughing if the situation wasn't so bizarre. Was this what Minnie was doing all this time down below? Singing songs, playing games, and sharing personal information with a pirate? It had a sniff of treason without being enough to be disbarred, and contained a foolishness that Daisy had thought Minnie's smarts to be above.

Then Daisy had the one singular thought that no sensible person should ever have if they want things to stay safe. _'Well,'_ she thought, _'it can't get any worse'_.

Of course it got worse. The argument of the names escalated as the two leaned in closer and closer. The spaces between the bars were wide enough to let singular body parts though, but thin enough to keep the body as a whole inside. They were wide enough to let Mickey's nose through, along with part of his muzzle, and neither of them had realized it until his touched Minnie's. The physical contact shut them both up at once. They stared at each other for three excruciatingly long seconds before running rapidly backwards until they both hit the walls with their backs, faces redder than his yo-yo.

They hadn't touched physically since his arrest, unless you counted their passionate imaginations, and anyone can tell you that reality and fantasy are never the same, and can become quite shocking when they meet. They continued to stare at each other, feeling ridiculous for reacting like this when it had just been a touching of noses. It was absurd, since it was a complete accident. It was just a nose, that's all. Just a nose, just a nose, just a nose, so why were their hearts on fire? What was wrong with them?

It was Mickey who broke the tension, rubbing his nose with the back of his sleeve and looking away with a nervous chortle. "Ha… ha-ha. Sorry about that."

Minnie mumbled something that sounded like an apology as well, also choosing not to meet his eyes, and rubbing her nose with her fingers.

This was when Daisy's patience vanished, and she made herself known by stomping hard on the stairs, heading down. This surprised the duo, and as Minnie saw who the incomer was, she rubbed her cheeks with her hands in an effort to make herself stop blushing. "D-Daisy! Oh, uh, hello! What are you doing around here?" Mickey sat down in a corner, playing with his yo-yo again.

Daisy approached Minnie, yanking her by the arm. "Minnie, sweetie." Though her choice of words were honeyed, her voice was ice. "Could I speak to you alone for just a minute?"

Minnie pointed at the cell, confused. "But Captain Amelia says I'm not allowed to leave the prisoner until - "

"It'll be just a minute!" She was already dragging Minnie up the stairs, and refused to hear any protests until they were on the upper deck, away from Mickey's ears. On the final step, Daisy turned around, looking at her friend intensely. "What was all of that?"

Minnie blinked, lost to the interrogation. "What was what, Daisy?"

"All of that!" Daisy waved towards the direction of the cells. "Are you two best friends now or something?"

"What!" Minnie scoffed, taking a step back. "Do you even hear what you're saying?"

"I know what I sat down there." Daisy sighed, running a hand through her hair in disbelief. "It was like watching one of those soap operas were the guy and the girl are totally in love with each other, but they don't admit it and they just act awkward forever, until the fans have to beg on their hands and knees for any sign of them getting together, and then the producers make a huge tease scene and the fans just scream, _will you two just kiss already?_! What does that tell you?"

"… That you watch too many soap operas." Minnie tilted her head, trying to see if Daisy was feeling ill or just needed someone to rant at.

Daisy huffed, hands on her hips. "What I'm trying to say is you and that pirates are way too friendly! He's the enemy, or did you forget that?"

"I didn't forget anything." Minnie matched Daisy's looks with the hands and the hips. "I have to be with him all the time, I get bored. We talk sometimes, but that's all. He's… not too terrible to talk to."

Daisy looked around quickly in case anyone was listening in, before grabbing Minnie by the shoulders and pulling her in close. "I can get bored. I can get talking. But that, down there, that was… it was just wrong. Can't you see he's using you?"

Minnie roughly shrugged Daisy's hands off. "Using me for what? Do you think I'll pity him enough to let him go, on a ship full of N.A.V.Y. women all the way up in the sky?"

"It's just not safe, Minnie." Daisy's anger now shifted into worry, lowering her arms. "…Do you pity him?"

Minnie fumbled for words, her own anger evaporating as well. She didn't want to lie to one of her closest friends, but this truth was awkward on her tongue. "I…" A sigh. "A little. He's made some bad choices, but you saw those reports. He didn't kill anyone and he's never actually tried to harm people. I know he should be punished for his crimes, but - "

"No, no no no!" Daisy wagged a finger, almost touching Minnie's lips with it. "There is no but! You attack a ship, you're a pirate, you'll be executed. That's all there is to it." When Minnie wouldn't speak, Daisy put her hand under Minnie's chin, trying to force her head around. "Look at me… come on, Minnie, look at me." Minnie relented with her eyes. "There's something else going on, isn't there? This is what happens when you don't play the market and see other boys." She let go of Minnie's face. "You're getting attached to a guy who's going to die… I can't see how this will end in anything other than heartbreak."

Minnie exhaled deeply, miffed by the accusations but at the same time knowing Daisy was trying to help. It was difficult for her to explain what she thought was fairly obvious, and Daisy didn't know Mickey like she did. "I know you mean well, Daisy, but I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." She tried to smile. "I'm not going to do anything stupid. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course." Daisy's eyes went to the stairs. "It's him I'm worried about."

"What are you two doing?" Clarabelle's voice cut through the argument, and the two turned to see the tall cow glowering over them. "Minnie, you're supposed to be watching the prisoner, and Daisy, you were told to take over the mast!" Her tone indicated she was in no mood for games, but Daisy didn't appear the least bit threatened.

"Yeah, yeah." Daisy lopped her head towards Minnie. "Don't mind her, she's been in a bad mood…"

"I've been in a worried mood!" The cow snapped back, teeth bared as she growled. "We haven't heard a single word from the A.R.M.Y. ever since we took flight! Don't any of you find that suspicious? Usually we get some reports from them, at the very least telling us that everything back at headquarters is running smoothly. But we haven't gotten anything!"

Daisy smirked, her moods flipped easier than a light switch. "She means she hasn't heard from Horace…"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Thus Clarabelle and Daisy began their usual fight over feelings, with Daisy teasing and Clarabelle reeling. Minnie rolled her eyes, knowing she was going to be ignored in favor of needling the cow's relationship to the horse. So Minnie turned back and headed down the stairs to resume her duty, dismissing everything that happened between her and Daisy. On some level she knew Daisy was right, but it was far too late to learn anything from that lecture now. There was also some insult to it, because did Daisy really think Minnie would do something foolish like trying to help Mickey escape?

Even if she unlocked the cell, Mickey would have had to fight through dozens of trained women, and then find a way off of a flying ship. Even if she unlocked it when they landed on Alcatraz, the island was one of the most heavily guarded places in the world, and just flinching out of line warranted enough to be shot on sight. There was no way to sneak him out and no ways to have him avoid death. Not that she ever thought about it, mind you… not seriously, anyway…

Mickey's head lifted when she came back down. "What was all that about?" He hadn't heard the argument, but the way Daisy had dragged Minnie off hadn't looked like good news.

Minnie sat down again at the wall. "It was nothing." She didn't add on, and didn't realize that she was again wearing an expression of sadness. Every time she was reminded of his imminent death, it took over her face, and Mickey would take it upon himself to cheer her up. It was another trait she found favorable about him, and made his future all the more painful to her.

Mickey helped to change the subject, wearing that cute and charming smile of his to disarm her. "How about I teach ye a new shanty to sing? Bet ye'll be the first one ta hear of it, and no one here will have ever heard of it before."

She smiled slightly, already amused. "And what makes you think that?"

"Cause I made it up, and I aint ever been captured before." There was a small sneer of pride to that, almost forgetting where he was and why he was there. "S'bout this prince, who just strides inta this kingdom, but the truth is that he's just some street rat, tryin' ya win over the heart of the fair princess." He paused to tease, waiting for her. "Wanna learn it?"

She bit on her tongue for a faint second, but could find no reason not to adhere to this wish. "Fine, but I don't really see you as a song writer…"

"Aw, just listen fer the first couple a lines!" He cleared his throat, and added more clearings to get an extra giggle out of her, before starting up. "Prince Ali, fabulous he…"

It turned out to be a very well written tune, and Minnie found herself singing along easily enough. Every so often they would devolve into arguments again, but these days they were less heated. It could have been that their friendship had strengthened, or that they were trying to make the last days of his life as pleasant as possible. They didn't talk about the latter anymore. There just didn't seem to be any point.

* * *

><p>At the exact same time Mickey was singing for people to show some respect, genuflect, down on one knee, someone else was singing a different tune all the way in the A.R.M.Y. headquarters. They were located on the shores of the Kingdom Of Britain, and very close to N.A.V.Y. headquarters. The tune was being sung by a mechanic working on a small plane, much to the annoyance of the pilot inside. The pilot, a gray bear with a large reddish nose, stuck his head out of the cockpit. "Hey, Horace, you know the joke 'don't quit your day job'? Maybe you should do it anyway, if you're gunna keep singing like that."<p>

The mechanic rolled out from under the plane, a thin and tall horse covered in grease and named Horace Horsecollar. "You're no choir boy either, Baloo. I'm just tryin' to keep mahself distracted, there's a lot goin' round in my mind lately."

Baloo laid back comfortably in his seat. "Aw, you're just upset that you still haven't heard back from your girlfriend."

The sound of a wrench being dropped banged hard on the floor, and Horace scrambled to pick it up. "If I've told ya once, I've told ya a thousand times… Clarabelle aint ma girl! We're just friends! Best friends, too… so yeah, I'm a little upset." He rolled back under the plane. "I've been tryin' to get in contact with her for weeks, and I aint even heard so much as a peep. It's like she's turned off all radio communications." Which was unusual for her, since Clarabelle loved to gab about anything and everything.

Baloo smiled knowingly, but decided to keep quiet about it so his precious plane could be repaired quicker. Just as Horace was closing the plane up, with a click signaling that everything was finished, the radio on the planet began to beep loudly, with a panicked male voice on the other end. "All pilots, report in! An emergency has been issued about The Hawkins! Repeat, all pilots, report in!"

Horace quickly wheeled his way out, trying to sit up and look at Baloo. "The Hawkins? That's the ship Clarabelle is on, the one shippin' out to Alcatraz!"

Baloo grabbed the radio, flicking his own end on to communicate. "This is Private Baloo, reporting in. What's the matter, Bill?" Although Bill Lizard was an easily panicked sort, something in his bones told Baloo this was worse than normal.

"Our technical experts here and at Alcatraz say that The Hawkins is unable to receive any radio transmissions! They've been completely cut off from the outside world, something's jamming the signals! It's been like that for weeks!" There were alarms going off in the background of Bill's voice, along with sounds of men scrambling all over the place.

Baloo and Horace quickly exchanged a panicked look, and Horace climbed up the plane, almost snatching the radio away from Baloo. "Whaddya mean, fer weeks? Why didn't anyone get this until now?"

Bill began to stammer, not sure how to handle the anger. "I-It just didn't appear out of the ordinary! Captain Amelia usually doesn't communicate back to us if there's nothing important going on! And… oh, come on!" Papers were being shuffled, and Bill's panicked voice only grew whinier, talking to someone else. "You have to be kidding me!"

Baloo gripped the piece tightly as he lost his patience. "Bill! What's going on over there?"

"Alcatraz just sent a new message, and… oh, no, no, no, nonononononono!" There were sounds of things being knocked over in fright. "All solo pilots, get over there, now! No time to lose, we need our fastest men over there A.S.A.P.!" Planes designed to only carry one person, the pilot, could arrive in days at places it took giant ships weeks to reach. "All pilots, head for Alcatraz, head for The Hawkins!"

Baloo smashed a flurry of buttons, causing the glass overhead to slide down. Horace fumbled, and wound up falling onto the floor, staring up at the plane. As the pilot's engines roared to life, the horse could no longer hear what was being said over the radio. He could still faintly see his bear friend, and Baloo's anger suddenly turned into a mixture of shock and confusion. Horace could do nothing but watch helplessly as the lane began to take off, joining dozens of others in the sky. What could have happened at Alcatraz, the most secure prison in the world for the worst criminals?

* * *

><p>The final day arrived.<p>

Captain Amelia was in her personal bedchambers, and was carefully fiddling with the large radio next to her bed. It hadn't bothered her that the A.R.M.Y hadn't even tried to communicate with her or any of the women during this entire voyage, but the fact she hadn't heard from her husband was grating her nerves. She had told Delbert not to call her whenever she made one of these trips, but he always disobeyed, and she had found that adorable. The fact that all of a sudden now he was obeying was making her angry, not wanting to admit she missed the sound of his voice. Her dinner was left untouched, more concerned with the radio than the meal. She wanted sound and wanted it now.

She got sound, but not as she desired. Her front door was slammed open by a small bat, colored black and white save for the faded brown hair around her large ears. "Captain!"

Amelia continued to fiddle. "Not now, Private Liliac."

"But, Captain, we've got a - "

Amelia's voice became stern. "And haven't you been taught well enough to knock before entering a superior's chambers?"

Liliac groaned, waving her winged arms in a huff. "Yes, Captain, but this is a - "

"You are dismissed, Private Liliac."

In any normal situation, a good private would have obeyed and left, praying they still had a career when they woke up. So it spoke to the gravity of the situation that not only did Liliac stay, she suddenly screeched as loudly as she could, cracking the glass of water near Amelia's dinner. The captain slowly lifted looked towards her, mouth set grimly. "…You have my attention, Private."

Liliac took a deep breath, saluting. "There's been a suspicious sighting on the shore of Alcatraz! You have to see this immediately!"

Amelia stood, putting away her anger and annoyance to stay focused on the task at hand. As she walked towards the door, Liliac backed away, jumping off a railing and using a short hop of flight until she was on the lower deck, snatching a periscope from a startled girl. She then flew right back to Amelia's side, handing the periscope to her captain. "Can you see it?"

Amelia stayed quietly, extending the scope until she could see the island. At first glance, everything was as it should have been. Then she looked to the shore, and saw something moving out of the water. It was slow and steady, but something was definitely leaving the water and getting into the air. Amelia adjusted the scope back and forth, until she could get a better angle, and then gasped, pulling her head back. "That's impossible!"

Liliac wisely decided to hold the 'I told you so' inside of her.

* * *

><p>The footsteps were slower this time, and Minnie could have sworn the cells were quieter now, emptier now. Sadness tends to make all surroundings seem worse off than they really were, and there was no denial that the little private was sad. Though she was still loathing to wholly admitting it, she was very upset over the fate that would befall the only prisoner in these vast cells. Despite this, she did her best to keep a straight face, clutching the tray of food steady in front of her. Maybe it would be best if she just dropped it off and left, since there was no real need to technically guard him anymore.<p>

But when she stopped at that particular cell, her will was easily broken. There sat Mickey, his back to her, calmly flicking his red yo-yo back and forth, as usual. Hearing her footsteps, he turned his head back to get a glance at her and smiled, the glint of gold from one tooth now seeming like a dying flicker on a candle. "Dinner already?"

She hesitated, but nodded. "The last one." Her voice was quiet, almost inaudible, stepping up to the cell and sliding the tray in to his side. As always, the meal wasn't much, just leftover slops and a glass of dirty water, as no one bothered to save anything relatively healthy for a prisoner's meal.

Still the pirate picked up his fork, and took a bite. "Guess we'll be there soon."

Another nod from her. In only a few hours, they would arrive at the N.A.V.Y. prison to await his trial and subsequent execution. "Before the sun sets, most likely." She mumbled, eyes cast downward.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, and resumed playing with his yo-yo. "Time flies when yer havin' fun. How long's it been?"

"A month… more or less." Minnie has started to lose track of time during her voyage on the ship, though she did agree that it had felt all too quickly. A month full of guarding this prisoner, talking with him, getting to know him. Her friends had been worried over her, but she had been so confident that perhaps she could get valuable information out of him. Instead, he had gotten information out of her, of her family and her dreams, and now the very thought of sending him to the gallows was enough to reduce her to tears. Shuddering and swallowing the urge to do so now, she began to sit down, her back to his own. "Y-You know… I've been thinking."

"Aye?" Though bars blocked them, they could still feel body warmth from each other.

"Maybe, when you get there, you could try to… to make a deal." She smoothed down her uniform was she tried to articulate her argument. She had made this similar argument many times before, and yet still insisted upon it."Give up information on people you've worked with. Then, then, then maybe they won't…"

"Hang me?" He finished, knowing she wouldn't be able to. A grim chuckle followed. "Oh, turtledove, I could give 'em entire ships filled with men of me ilk, and they'd still tie me up."

"But it's not fair!" She hadn't meant to shout that, but it came out loud none the less. Already this conversation was so vastly different than their usual talks. That little nickname would cause her to blush, and he'd tease her about it, and they'd have a mock fight, trading stories as he taught her new yo-yo tricks. But now she was just fighting an urge to cry, banging her head back against the bars. She knew this argument was fruitless, but emotions and logic were bitter enemies. "You're not like the others! Y-You're different!"

He seemed to catch the fight she was giving herself, and made gentle shushing noises. "Don't cry now…"

"Y-You're nice, and sweet, and you've never murdered anyone, a-all you did was steal - "

"And commit treason." He 'walked the dog'.

"A-and commit treason…"

"And kidnapping." He 'went around the world'.

"I'm trying to help you!" She snapped, kicking her legs a little in the air in her frustration. "You don't deserve to die! You're a… a good pirate!"

"No such thing exists." But he did pause for a moment, slowing down his tricks in contemplation. He then sighed, a little heavier than normal. "Still don't understand how a sweet thing like ye winds up workin' in the N.A.V.Y." He shifted a little, looking back at her again. "More like… yer the kinda lass men would fight to protect over. The fair princess."

"Princesses don't do anything." She sniffled, shaking her head. "They just… wait around for the knight to come and save them. I wanted to be the knight. I wanted to do the saving. But… but now I really am a princess, because I can't do anything about this. I-I'm just… weak, and useless…"

"Don't go sayin' such things." He clicked his tongue to his teeth, reprimanding her. "Ye don't suit the role, but ye still got it fair and square. Yer why I'm in here, after all… gave me a fair beatin' and all." A chuckle came in good memory. "I think it's gunna be one of the easiest robberies in me life, and then this small one comes up, tellin' me she's puttin' me under arrest…"

A weak smile came upon Minnie's frame. "You were my first capture."

"Doubt I'll be the last." Then, rather uncharacteristically, his voice went into a low murmur, soft and soothing. "If I could… I'd steal one last thing."

She rolled her eyes, amazed he could still joke and speculate, even when his own death was less than a day away. "And what would that be?" She laid one hand flat on the floor, the other one used to wipe away what few tears that had escaped. "A ship, or a crown, or a…" She trailed off as she felt a hand slither out from behind the bars and take a hold of her own. As he gently squeezed her hand, the silence in the lower decks was deafening.

Though he hadn't said another word, the intention was obvious. Now the tears could not be stopped by any means, and Minnie shut her eyes tightly, whimpering as she became overcome with emotions. In one month, this criminal had snuck his way into her heart, capturing her entirely, and twisting all of her preconceived notions of what pirates could be like. Pirates were supposed to be bloodthirsty, merciless, and evil straight to the core. Mickey was nothing of the sort. He was more like a mischievous boy with great power than a real threat to anyone.

Though she was engaged to another man, Mickey had done more for her in that short span of time than Mortimer ever offered. He listened to her troubles and worries, and offered solutions to them. He encouraged her dreams, and admired the devotion she had to her family. He had proven he had wit and intelligence, charm and kindness, and would often do anything to get a smile out of her. Had he been any other profession than a pirate, maybe fate would have been kinder, and it would have been his ring she would be wearing instead. In any other lifetime, they could have found happiness together.

They didn't say what could have been or what they felt, because it would have only increased the already blinding pain. It wasn't that she had fallen for 'a pirate', but that she had fallen for Mickey. Him being a pirate was just a sad happenstance. He was more than a pirate, but no one outside of these cells would ever understand that. He brought her happiness and sorrow, laughter and frustration, hopes and downpours. What was life going to be like without him now? She couldn't bare to imagine it. Maybe she would have been better if he didn't confirm his feelings for her, and she could have gotten over it, thinking her own feelings as a dismissive dream.

But he had returned them, he cared for her as much as she did and that made everything wonderful and terrible. It was beyond someone caring for her, it was that he, Mickey, the one she cared for, cared for her. It made her whole and destroyed her, to want to be with a man that would cease to exist in hours. She was in a swirl of emotions, and it became hard to breathe.

"Turtledove." He whispered, and locked his fingers in between hers.

Slowly, tentatively, with pain and joy and conflict, she squeezed his hand back. "Say… say my name."

Without any hesitation at all, his next breath contained it. "Minnie."

She took her time to open her eyes. "Mickey."

It was a good thing she opened her eyes, or she would have assumed the sudden quake of motion all around her was just her aching heart. But since she could see all around her, she could see the quarters rattle, the key-ring nearly falling off its hook on the corresponding wall. Before she could register what happened, the quake happened again, along with sounds all too familiar off the distance.

"Cannon ball fire!"In an instant, Minnie was getting up, the drama vanishing. "We're under attack!" As she stumbled to get back on her feet, she caught sight of Mickey with the fork in his mouth, and her agitation was sudden. "How can you eat at a time like this?"

He seemed ready to give her a cocky reply, when the fork was dropped, and he began to clutch his throat. The pirate began to fall over, harsh coughing emitting from him, and the blood began to drain from his face. It was soon obvious to Minnie what his ailment was – Mickey was choking! More canons boomed off, and Minnie looked rapidly from stairway, to Mickey, back and forth, trying to make a decision. It didn't take long for her to lunge for the keyring, figuring she'd very speedily help Mickey, and then go help her sisters in arms. "Hang on!"She jammed the keys into the cell door, and swung it open after hearing the resounding click.

Almost tripping over herself in her fear of his pain, Minnie got behind Mickey, holding him as best she could, trying to do the Heimlich maneuver. Three tries into it, she heard him gasp, and she pleadingly tried to see his face. "Are you okay?"

Mickey gasped for air, his shoulders hitched, and, with his tongue partially out, breathed "Thanks."

Sighing with relief, Minnie stepped back, but once she had let go of him, the pirate moved in a blur. Faster than she could understand what was happening, he had grabbed his yo-yo, and in one swift jerk, it appeared to come to life all on its own, swirling itself around Minnie in hundreds of circles, binding her in a silver string until she was entirely covered, from her ankles to her knees. Losing her gravity, she fell right onto her back, and as she moved, she realized this wasn't string, or at least not ordinary string. It refused to break, and it was metallic to the touch. She was completely bound, and could not free herself.

Mickey loomed over her, wearing his winning golden smile, and when the toy finally stopped moving, he reached to grab the red circular bit. She heard a mechanical click as it snapped off, and he pocked it in his jacket. "Nifty what they can do these days with a few clinks and clanks, aye?"

Minnie stared up at him, speechless for the moment. As realization dawned on her, so did hot, white, all powerful and all encompassing anger. "You..." He had faked choking so she would unlock the door… and, then, as her body shook with fury, the yo-yo. That yo-yo! "You…" He had kindly asked to keep it since day one, and Minnie had obliged. "Y-Y-You…" He had been planning this ever since he first went behind these bars. "You… _BILGE RAT_!"

Mickey raised his eyebrows at the insult, getting down on one knee. "Ouch. What happened to callin' me by name?"

"You tricked me!" She screamed in a type of fury she never knew she was capable of, hoping the other privates could hear her screams over the roar of the cannons. "All this time, I thought you were different, but… but you're worse!" She kicked her feet, despite what little good it did. "I hate you, hate you, hate you! You big fat liar!" She almost bit her tongue in her rapid accusations, feeling on fire as all of her nerves singed with anger. Every conversation, every song, every heart-felt moment, it was all a ruse! Her hands ached, wanting to strangle him.

He tipped his hat up just a smidge in surprise. "Liar? When did I ever lie?" Ignoring her attempts to bite his arm, he picked up her wrapped body, cradling her against his chest. "Not once have I ever told ye an untruth. I just had no plans to ever… die." As always he was incredibly calm, given the situation. He was treating it like he had just won at checkers and his opponent had flipped the board in anger.

"You used me!" She tried to pull her head back, but there was no space to do so. "And I'll never forgive you!" Every single pure feeling she ever had for him churned and frothed inside of her, building into rage she had never thought nor didn't think she was capable of feeling before. "If you get out of here, I swear I'll hunt you down and drag you back myself!" The last word even contained a hint of spittle.

However, he wasn't threatened at all. In fact, judging by his warm eyes and lopsided grin, he had enjoyed her accusations. "I wouldn't expect any less…" Then with the silkiest of caresses, he dragged the back of his hand down her red cheek. "…turtledove." Once the hand reached her chin, her tilted her head upwards, and ran his thumb across her trembling lips. She sucked in air as he leaned his head down closer. He wouldn't dare! Not here, and not now, and not after everything he had done! He closed his eyes, and Minnie's body instinctively went still. No, he couldn't do this, he couldn't just pretend he had hadn't done anything wrong, and yet he was still going for it, their noises brushing together, hints of his breath on her face, and…

… he was interrupted by a cannon blast directly into the cell.

The wall behind them was now broken wood and dust, blocking their vision for a few good moments. When sight was restored, a third figure was now standing in the debris, clutching two small hoverboards at his sides – small mechanical devices that traveled short distances over the air. They were illegal and usually cheaply made, perfect for pirate battles from one ship to another. They only lasted for a few hours, their batteries made out of materials so cheap that they were easily breakable. Whoever this was had mostly likely ridden right behind each cannon ball, trying to find Mickey. As Minnie blinked hard, she recognized the figure as one of the pirates from the museum robbery where she had 'met' Mickey – a tall, lanky buck toothed dog, donned in greens and oranges. It was the one called Goofy!

"Ya big Goof!"Mickey grumbled, deeply annoyed, and dropping Minnie like a dead weight, ignoring the thud and squeak that followed it. "Did ya have to go and kill the mood like that?"

The dog merely handed over one of the boards, ignoring his captain's annoyance and the tied up girl's yells. "Ship's waitin' on ye, cap'n! Sorry we're late, Pete's was makin' a big fuss, and then we all argued, and, well…"

"Excuses excuses…" Mickey mimicked Goofy's pleasant tone, stepping onto his board. He took one glance at his infuriated girlfriend, and winked, before jumping out of the hole with Goofy following.

"Minnie!" Several feminine shrieks came from the stairways, as other privates began to head for the source of the explosion. Daisy managed to reach the cell first, but the men had already jumped into the sky, sailing away on their boards. So she focused on what she could, kneeling down to try and find a way to cut the metallic yo-yo rope. "Minnie, are you okay?"

"Oooh, this is awful!" Millie whined, taking another side of Minnie to tug and pull at the metal. "They had a ship hidden at Alcatraz all this time, waiting for us! And that pirate somehow got a signal-jamming device on board!" The yo-yo again, no doubt. "I can't believe they would do all of this, just for a single pirate!"

Minnie glared hellfire at the wall, paying no mind to her friend's aide. Instead, she yelled as loud as she could make herself, her temper increasing her volume. "I'll get you for this, Captain Mickey! I'll get you!" Even if he couldn't hear her, she had to make it known. That wretched man, that lying scoundrel, he was going to pay for this! If it was the last thing she ever did, she would bring that man in herself!

The flying men couldn't hear her, as the sounds of battle, gunfire, and canonfire blocking most of their hearing. The hoverboards were already beginning to die, and so they headed straight for Mickey's ship, expecting a rough landing. Cheers from his crew were already crying out at his return. Just before they reached the deck, Goofy did inquire to Minnie's nature, close enough to Mickey so they could hear each other."So, what was I interruptin'?"

"Oh, just wait and see." Mickey's good mood was back already, leaping off the board just as it shut down and landing on his feet on the deck. Though it made his feet hurt, he stood still up firmly, facing The Hawkins as it continued in battle. "I'm gunna make that lass me wife!"

**End of Chapter Four.**


	5. Sweetheart Versus Stealing

How my friend Lies put up with editing this one, I don't even know. In this chapter, Minnie's humiliation has only begun, we learn more about Mortimer and the world this takes place in, and Donald comes up with clearly the best heroic name ever.

* * *

><p>The Hawkins had suffered tremendous damage from the surprise attack. Mickey's crew had done more than just save him, as they had ransacked the ship for any goods and as a result turned the ship into flying rubbish. The A.R.M.Y. pilots had arrived too late to do any help at all. The Hawkins was forced to stay at Alcatraz and get repairs until it could fly again. Smaller ships and planes from both the N.A.V.Y. and the A.R.M.Y. were sent in to get the stranded girls and return them to headquarters. Minnie and her few friends were the last to leave, since Minnie was yanked into Amelia's chambers for a discussion as to what happened. Clarabelle, Millie, and Daisy tentatively waited outside of the doors, wincing every so often when they heard harsh words flow through.<p>

It was a bright and early morning as the three friends waited for the fourth, trying to guess what lay in store for her. Millie kept fidgeting, walking back and forth in circles."Ooooh, I hope the captain isn't too mad at her." She whined, fumbling with her fingers. "How was Minnie supposed to know the yo-yo could do all of that? A weapon _and_ a signal jammer?"

Daisy leaned against a wall, rubbing her arms. "Yeah, but everyone knows you're supposed to take away everything a pirate has except his clothes. No exceptions." She looked towards the door with uncertainty. "But… she is probably going to take her anger out on Minnie. The Captain loves this ship, it's her pride and joy. Those guys did a real number here."

Clarabelle sat on the railing, looking out to the island. "I'll say! I've never heard of a ship that could go on water and air… _and_ underwater." With the third description all three girls nodded grimly. Large vessels were either strictly for air or water, although there had been rumors to combine the two in the future with enough advances in technology. However, a ship that could actually go under the water wasn't even imagined in the furthest fairy tale. How had a bunch of thieves gained access to technology that even the smartest members of the government didn't have blue prints for?

Before they could mull over the matter any further, the door creaked open, and the friends stood up straight to greet Minnie. "Okay, everyone…" Daisy whispered. "Smiles! We're here to support her!"

Minnie's face was ghastly pale, as if she had survived an encounter with death itself. Her steps were fragile as she walked out, quietly closing the door behind her. When she looked up, she was greeted by the three fakest smiles she had ever seen before, and she had seen some terrible plays in her life. "…You've been here a while, huh." Her voice sounded tired, and she hung her head in shame.

The smiles drooped, and Daisy pulled Minnie into a comforting hug, cooing. "Oh, sweetie, it'll be all right! She's just mad about her ship, that's all… let's get going, the planes are waiting for us." She held Minnie's hand and began to walk, the taller friends behind in tow. "You and I have a few days on leave waiting for us when we get home, and you'll have your engagement party, and by the time we're back on duty, the Captain will have forgiven you."

Clarabelle cleared her throat, looking away. "Not unless that party lasts a million years…" Daisy shot her a glare, and the cow shrugged. "What? I'm just saying, this isn't going to end well, and not anytime soon either. The only way she'd ever even consider promoting you now is if you brought in Mickey yourself."

"And that's what I plan to do." Minnie suddenly was standing up straighter with that declaration, her strength returned. "I'm going to make that… that wretched, awful, horrible pirate pay for what he's done to me! I'm the laughingstock of the entire N.A.V.Y., and it's his entire fault!"

Millie timidly raised a hand, trying to smooth matters helplessly. "I wouldn't say laughingstock…"

Minnie went on, storming right towards the planes were docked, fists clenched so tightly that Daisy had to yank her hand away in pain. "I'm going to find him, and I'm going to arrest him, and I'll tie the noose around his scrawny neck personally!"

Daisy rubbed her slightly injured hand. "Minnie, I'm sure we all appreciate the enthusiasm, but how are you going to find him? No one knows where he and his crew will strike next, and since his ship can go just about everywhere, no one can even guess where he's hiding. And all that frowning is going to make so many wrinkles."

Minnie made a 'hmph' noise, refusing to let something like logic cloud her anger. As they approached the door to the plane, Clarabelle stepped in between Minnie and Daisy. "Minnie… if you really want to go after this guy…" Minnie looked upwards, while Millie was silently flailing her arms and trying to signal whatever Clarabelle was doing was not good. "Me and Millie can try and look into him while you two are on leave. When you come back, we can let you know what we've learned… I bet a moron like him is going to move quickly and make another heist as soon as he can."

The offer brightened the mouse up, and she gave Clarabelle a hug that was returned in full. "Oh, thank you! That would really help me out!" Eyes shining brightly with hope, she held Clarabelle's hands and addressed all of her friends. "I should have listened to you all, and never let him mess with my head. But it won't ever happen again, I promise. You girls are my real friends." Despite Millicent still voicing this was a bad idea and Daisy getting impatient to board the plane, the girls all came together for a group hug, giggling and assuring Minnie she would get her man. Despite all of the fighting they typically went through, this foursome did care for each other very deeply. No matter how badly Minnie tended to screw up, they always came through for her, offering support and sympathy.

"It's a shame, though." Daisy commented as they finally went on board and found good seats. "The little guy was kind of cute."

Minnie sat down quickly, crossing her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about, Daisy. He was the ugliest man I've ever seen in my life. He was so short, with a huge nose, and he smelled horribly." Millie and Clarabelle sat down as well, the four of them side by side – Daisy, Minnie, Millie, and then Clarabelle.

Clarabelle leaned back in her seat, crossing one leg over the over. "Short, tall, big nose, no nose, Daisy will date just about anyone." She counted on her fingers. "How many boyfriends are you up to now? Five?"

Daisy smirked, fixing up her hair, ready for the newest argument. "Jealous much?"

As the usual argument began, Millie noticed in the rows ahead, a few newspapers were being passed around, as the plane began to rumble and signal it was ready for takeoff. Millie managed to gently take one as it was passed their way, and opened it up between her and Minnie, giving the two of them an excuse not to be involved in an argument that had now somehow turned into which was better, fur or feathers. Minnie had been so preoccupied with her duties concerning Mickey that she hadn't caught up on outside news at all. Several of the headlines suck out at her as they flipped through pages together.

**Kingdom of America's coronation date for Barnaby 'Big Bad' Wolf officially stated : March!**

**Scrooge McDuck declares 'Pirates won't stop progress!' Business merges are on the way!**

**Valentine's Day approaching fast, Prince Edward of Britain declares search for perfect bride!**

Minnie settled in her seat as the plane began lift off, looking satisfied. "What a relief! I thought this disaster would be big news, but it's not even mentioned in passing! Maybe it really wasn't so bad after all."

"That's last week's edition." A red deer in a seat ahead of her quipped, sliding another paper in between the seats. "This is this week's, we got it from the pilots."

Minnie took it with hesitance and the giant words on the front page were the same as a slap to her face.

**Mouseketeers Captain escapes! Could rookie be to blame?**

"I'm not a rookie!" Minnie suddenly shrieked, nearly tearing the paper in her hands. "I just haven't been promoted yet! And how can they say this is my entire fault? What about their ship? Where's that in the stupid article?"

Millie raised an eyebrow as she also began to read out loud. "'Inside sources say the rookie was deceived by the captain's charm, wit, and songs…' Inside sources? Who would have talked about this to the press?"

Even the argument was stopped by this question, as Daisy, Minnie, and Millie all carefully began turning their heads to Clarabelle who had suddenly gone quiet, looking away and playing with the bell on her neck. When it was impossible to ignore the hard stares on her back, Clarabelle cleared her throat, trying to point to the window. "Lovely weather, isn't it?" The stares became glares. "…Well. Um. You know, once the pirates were gone, the radios could work again, and they were calling everyone, and – and Minnie you're supposed to stay in your seat during a plane ride!" It was too late, Minnie was already leaping out of her chair to try and strangle her dear friend, barely being held back by Millie. "Oh, they were going to find out eventually! I told them a good version!"

"How is calling me a rookie a good version?" Minnie flailed in Millie's grip, kicking about. "How was any of that the good version?"

Clarabelle held up her hands in slight defense. "I never said you were a rookie! I just mentioned you've been here for years but still haven't earned the pants yet!"

"How did that even come up in conversation?" Minnie only eased down her fighting when she realized her flailing might be harming Millie, and had to settle herself for being hugged tightly by her friend. "My parents read this paper! Mortimer probably reads it too!"

"Not to mention half of Britain." Daisy chirped, watching the entire fiasco from her seat and hoping for Minnie to throttle Clarabelle. "So, being gossip queen of the N.A.V.Y. wasn't good enough, and you have to be the gossip goddess of Britain?"

"I think everyone is exaggerating." Millie said quietly as she rested her chin between Minnie's ears, trying to share some comfort. "It'll be yesterday's news by the time we get back to base. And since you two have a few day's leave, I don't want the last things we say to each other to be a fight. When we're all back together, we'll just work that much harder together to help Minnie out. Okay?" Dissatisfied mumbles of 'okay' came from the other girls, and Minnie allowed herself to be snuggled by her canine friend for the duration of the trip.

To keep further arguments from happening, Daisy took Minnie's newspaper, and tried to entertain herself by reading.

**Vigilante group strikes again! Are Justice Ducks friend or foe?**

* * *

><p>At that same day and moment, Donald was trying to answer that question for himself. He had left his small house to grab some lunch, and just as he was crossing the street, a carriage had ridden up right behind him, yanked him inside, and speedily run off. Donald yelled and tried to fight, until he recognized the pair of arms that had forcibly tugged him inside. He stopped and stared in surprise. "Drake Mallard?"<p>

The reason he was so surprised, aside from the kidnapping, was that Drake wasn't exactly dressed like he was during their first meeting. Now his outfit was dark purple, with long sleeves, gold buttons, and a flowing violet cape that seemed to be twice his size. Drake pushed Donald onto the opposite seat, and began adding on additions to the costume – a fedora and an eye mask. "No need for civilian names here. When you see me like this, I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the white chocolate when you ordered dark. I am…" He took some of his cape into his hand, and covered half of his body with it. "Darkwing Duck!"

Donald did a quick check and found that the doors were locked, much to his worry. "… Okay? Look, whoever you are now, why did you just yank me off the street? I was getting lunch, and I'm starving!"

"Justice can fill the stomach of any man!" The skeptical look Drake received prompted him to actually explain. "I can't just call you and tell you we're having a meeting. Enemies can be listening in at any moment, so we have to use the element of surprise to our advantage!"

Donald put his hands over his growling stomach. "A meeting? So I can finally meet the other Justice Ducks?"

Darkwing nodded, now trying to unfurl himself from his own cape and becoming instead more tangled in it. "They're already at our headquarters. Have you decided your alter ego name?"

With this chance to show off his brilliance and creativity, Donald perked up, sitting up straight and smiling brightly. "You bet I have! And it's the best name you'll ever hear!" He cleared his throat, hoping to go for the same dramatic tone Darkwing was doing for his introduction minus the silliness. "PK, the Avenger!"

For five seconds, there was silence save for the horse's hoof beats. Darkwing had given up on detangling himself when he finally spoke, deadpan. "Really. That's the best you could come up with?"

Donald's face fell, but more out of anger than sadness. "Hey, what's wrong with it? I think it sounds pretty awesome!"

"PK The Avenger?" Darkwing repeated, pulling out a small book from underneath his seat. "What are you avenging? And what does PK stand for?"

Donald refused to answer logic he didn't have answers for. "And what's so great about Darkwing? Your wings aren't dark, they're mauve!"

"Mauve is plenty dark." Darkwing opened the book, grumbling as he tried to change the subject. "I don't have time to argue about a name that sounds like it was picked by poking random parts of the dictionary." Donald went quiet around there. "I need to brief you before we arrive. You thought it was weird that a single pirate went after a useless section in your uncle's museum, right?"

Donald settled back in his seat, trying to remain serious for the subject at hand. "You told me that this group… Mouseketeers, right? They were paid to do that job."

"They were paid for one item in particular that they failed to grab." Darkwing turned his small book over so that Donald could see in the inside. Taped on these pages were scraps of paper with that same messy handwriting from the notebook Donald had read in the museum. "The notebook of Doctor Thatch."

"Never heard of him." Donald squinted his eyes, struggling to read what was being shown off, but the book was flipped back around before a single letter could be understood.

"You wouldn't. He's been presumed dead for over forty years." Darkwing resumed flipping pages. "He went on an archeological dig with a small team off the islands of what used to be Italy. They never came back. Rescue teams were sent in, but no one could find any trace of them, save for these notebooks, and the only one that wasn't ripped apart is the one your uncle has. Our organization has been searching for the remains of the other notebooks to try and find out why his team disappeared, and exactly what they were searching for in the first place."

The line of reasoning didn't make that much sense, and Donald leaned forward, trying to see more of the book. "If no one knows what this doctor was rambling on about, why does the person who paid the Mousketeers want that notebook so bad?"

Darkwing closed his book, and looked toward the window as the carriage began to slow down. "I have my own theories… but you know how these stories go. A missing bunch of important geeks, tattered notebooks, and pirates, that's bound to lead to something fun!" He rubbed his hands together eagerly, standing up once the carriage had stopped. In that moment, he looked more like a hopped up little boy ready to play cowboys and Indians than a vigilante for justice. Donald figured it was too late to leave now.

* * *

><p>The moment Minnie returned to the Kingdom of Britain, she quickly bid her friends a temporary farewell and raced to catch the next carriage to her parent's humble farm. The engagement party was going to be the very next day, so there was little time for relaxation. There were dresses to fit into, guests to R.S.V.P. with, and there were newspaper to tear apart with righteous fury with every time she saw Mickey's picture on them. Her parents never said a word about what they had learned, and Minnie was grateful. She felt maybe after the party she could explain everything to them in full. Right now, Minnie's mother had gotten sick again, and the less stress for her, the better.<p>

The party was held at Mortimer Rodawn's mansion, and was filled to the brim with his guests. He and his friends were ones who inherited their vast fortunes, instead of working hard for their money like Minnie's family. It was because of these differences that Mortimer and those whose company he shared often carried around a superior attitude with them. Since the day was sunny, the party was held outside in his massive garden, and Minnie did her best to be comfortable. Though there were some points and whispers to and near her about Mickey's fiasco, there was a whole different reason why this party was so uncomfortable for her.

The more she stared at her engagement ring, the more it looked like a shackle instead of a piece of jewelry. Minnie rubbed it back and forth, hoping the uncomfortable feelings going through her weren't showing up on her face. As she cast a quick glance at her friend, it became apparently that they must have been showing, because they were being copied by Daisy. She had arrived at the same time as Minnie, and had stuck to her friend like glue in an attempt to survive the ordeal. The two stared at each other for a small while, before the duck forced a smile, and lightly touched the mouse on the shoulders. "Come on, perk up." She chirped, trying to be cheery. "No one's supposed to be frowning at their own engagement party."

"Sorry." Her own smile tried to come, but it lasted only for a few seconds, spotting her future husband, Mortimer, laughing it up with his own snobby friends. "I'm trying, really."

"I know he's not the greatest catch." Daisy tried to word her sentiments carefully, patting her shoulders. "But it's like you said… he'll take good care of you, and his money will make sure you want nothing at all."

_Except freedom_, Minnie thought bitterly, but instead just nodded. She didn't want to admit Mickey was right about this arrange marriage and her real feelings over it, but being here in this crowded garden filled with people who could faint at the thought of breaking a sweat made her want to groan. It was the exact opposite of her proud and exciting N.A.V.Y. life. Taking a breath, she was about to thank Daisy for her comfort, when she noticed Mortimer making his way over. Both ladies immediately straightened their backs, with wide, agonizing smiles across their faces.

Mortimer was a very tall mouse, always towering over his fiancé. He had a sickly thin body, giant front teeth, and was always dressed in the latest fashions, because heaven forbid anyone catch him wearing clothes a normal person could afford. Even though he was usually smiling and laughing, this did not make him a pleasant man, for those smiles and laughs were usually at someone else's expense. Right then he reeked of cigars, and the noxious fumes spilled out as he spoke. "Mind if I borrow my little lady for a dance?"

"Of course not." Daisy was very quick and very eager to begin backing away, offering a sympathizing grin to her friend. Minnie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her friend's escape, and instead politely curtseyed to her fiancé before taking his arm and following him to the dance floor. A large section of grass had been killed and paved over with white marble tile, almost looking like a chessboard. Minnie tried not to make any obvious connections to being a pawn. There were already several couples out dancing, but they backed away respectfully when the rodents made their way in. As they danced, his grip was, as always, far too tight on her, and his dancing, as always, was atrocious, and his leering, as always, was clearly noticeable. Occasionally, Minnie would look around at the other people attending the party. They were high society people, talking of future parties, of wasting money, and mocking those below their statue.

Grinding her teeth, Minnie's mind tried to think about the positives of her engagement. This would make her parents happy, and she had always wanted their happiness. Marrying him would make her financially secure, and her life had always been a penny-pinching one. It might even earn her some respect with her fellow females in the N.A.V.Y, and she needed that now desperately. The only problem was that she could not stand him. Maybe being able to endure him was something she would learn how to do in marriage. Arranged marriages always worked out, she figured, since if they didn't, people would stop arranging them.

"Mortimer, old boy!" One of his friends called out, waving from a lower section where grass still lived, one drink sloshing in hand. "I've got five gold that says you can't hit the twenty yard mark!" In the backyard, a target shooting contest had been created, and a group of men were drunkenly shooting their pistols at further and further bull's-eyes.

"Ha-cha-cha, you think so?" His bride instantly forgotten, Mortimer casually pushed Minnie aside, heading right for the backyard, pulling out an elaborately large pistol from his coat pocket. "You're about to lose five gold!" Judging from the pistol's shine, he had never used it too much, and it was just another thing to show off.

As the men laughed at their game, Minnie stood there, now allowing her deep set frown to remain on her face. A fine man, pulling her away from Daisy just to abandon her for a dangerous game! She rubbed her temples, trying to put her annoyances behind her. After all, this was going to be her future, she had better get used to it. She never said she was going to love him, but who needed love? She was better off without it. Love had made a fool out of her, and could no longer be trusted. Better to live a life as a bored trophy than a hurt lover. As she tried to smooth away lines of anger from her face, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"May I have this dance, turtledove?"

That voice! That nickname! It couldn't be, all logic and common sense defied it! She turned around at once, and a silent scream died in her throat as she saw who it was. Mickey was standing right there, decked out in a bright blue suit and cocky frocks, having somehow managed to blend in with the other high society men. All of his grime and smells had been washed away, and even his posture was positively perfect. He looked like another one of Mortimer's business associates, and had Minnie not spent a month hating and loving him, she would have believed he was. The smirk on his face became bigger seeing her face pale.

"You… you… you!" Was all she managed to spit out, pointing at him in shock. This wasn't happening. She blinked hard, but he was still there.

"I'll take that as a yes." He took her hand and hip, and at once began to resume the dance Mortimer left off. Minnie's body reacted instinctively, fitting the steps and movements to the music, but her face was still one of shock. She looked around hoping someone else was seeing this. No one appeared to have taken notice of the extra guest, nor recognized his features from wanted posters and newspapers. She was on her own for now.

"What are you doing here?" At the very least she managed to hiss low, not trying to get anyone else's attention. It might be best that no one recognized him. A pirate in the mist of this party would create a panic in this foppish crowd, and what if the blame was traced to her again?

"I thought this was an open party." He too kept his voice low, but it was still loaded with amusement. He was easily able to slip in and out of pirate dialect and a normal speaking matter, flip flopping whenever she was close enough to hear."Miss me?"

She glared fire, and pulled one hand away – "You're under arrest!" – and reached down to try and grab the gun from her belt… which… wasn't there. She froze, remembering that Mortimer had told her to dress 'like a normal girl', which meant she hadn't been allowed to bring her gun, her handcuffs, or anything from her N.A.V.Y. uniform. She was dressed as a proper woman of society, not as one ready to fight.

Mickey didn't mind, resuming taking her hand. "I haven't broken any laws." He led the dance again, swiftly and casually. At another time, Minnie would be surprised at how well he could dance, given the fact he was a pirate and such scoundrels wouldn't know anything about proper dancing. His grip was gentler than Mortimer's, treating her like an equal instead of something to show off on the floor. If she didn't want to strangle him, she'd find this very romantic.

"You have a record!" Her grip tightened, hoping to cause him some pain, but he never flinched. He had planned this and there was no doubt about it. Looking back, she had told him about this future party plenty, so perhaps some of this was her own fault. The question of why he came was still unanswered.

"I haven't broken any laws _today_." He grinned, and the playfulness she had once admired in him now made her angrier. He was treating this like some kind of game. If he thought he'd win this round, he had another thing coming! Just what the thing was, she didn't know, but she'd think of something. There was no way she'd let him get away with whatever he was planning.

"That won't last long, I bet." She searched him with her eyes, trying to pick up on his real intentions. He was a pirate, and she was a private, that was as far as the relationship went now. So what possible reason was there for him to crash this party? Maybe he was there to humiliate her more. Maybe he was there to try grabbing some money from the party guests. Maybe he was there for revenge since she was the one who captured him. "Whatever you're up to, I won't let you get away with it."

"Well, if ye really gotta know…" His arm suddenly slithered around her waist, pulling her in so close that their bodies touched, causing her face to blush deeply. "I'm after the treasure here." At the sudden rush of body contact, all of their memories together crashed together. The songs, the jokes, the smiles, the touches, they flooded her mind, and she became soft in his arms. Their dancing came to a slow stop, and they stood in place, staring at one another. His expression was something she had only seen once before, when he had tied her up and cradled her in his arms. She couldn't quite place it, for no one had ever looked at her this way before. It was sweet and a gentle, a kind of happiness laced with…. With something, what? Longing? Needing? Or perhaps that dreaded, awful, horrid l-word?

Once she managed to grab a hold of her senses – and scolded herself for getting flustered– she shook her head hard enough she could have sworn an earring flew off. "There's no treasure here!" aside from what the guests were wearing and flaunting, there was no big item being shown off. This wasn't like the museum, where grabbing anything meant a lifetime of fortune. The things here were useless for a pirate's hands, like a giant ice sculpture of Mortimer and silverware made from whale bones. Not even Mickey would be this desperate for money.

"Oh, but there is. And not only am I gunna get it, I'll be gettin' it fair and square." With a wink, he suddenly stepped back, letting her go entirely. "Just ye wait and see. Mortimer's gunna hand it over on a silver platter." He brushed a finger past her cheek, and then began to stroll towards the backyard, whistling a catchy tune.

Minnie was ready to chase after him, but stopped herself, a new idea forming. Grabbing her dress in both hands, she ran as fast as her high heels would allow getting back to Daisy, and nearly tackled the other woman down in her panic, as Daisy had been sampling the widespread buffet. "Get inside and call Clarabelle and Millicent!"

Daisy nearly spat out the fresh drink in her hand, startled by the request. "What?"

Minnie grabbed Daisy by the arms, practically shaking her. "That pirate's here! Mickey! He said he's going to steal treasure from here!"

"What!" Daisy repeated, in a higher pitch, looking around for the intruder, doing the same instinctive grab for her gun and the same realization when she found it gone.

"Hurry, go, go!"Minnie pushed the duck, looking back at the backyard. "I'll keep an eye on him, go call for help!"

"Right, right!" Daisy turned around and headed straight for the interior of the mansion, taking her friend for her word. There was no way Minnie would lie about something this important, and Minnie just wasn't the type to be insanely paranoid. No pirate ever traveled alone, either, and the need for reinforcements would have to be soon. As for Minnie, with that solution settled, she retreated to the backyard at once, almost tripping over the grass as her heels got stuck in the dirt. To her horror, Mickey was already shaking hands with Mortimer, laughing and talking with him, with the worst British accent she had ever heard.

"I say, old bean." Mickey gestured with one hand towards the placed targets. "Word has it that no one, absolutely no one, can be a better aim than you." Once again he had slipped out of his pirate dialect, and carefully moved his mouth so that his gold tooth was never shown. No, it was more than that, as Minnie paid careful attention to Mickey's mouth – he had worn a cap over that tooth! He had done everything he could to blend in.

Mortimer's ego inflated, and he stroked his gun lovingly. "Who am I tell anyone otherwise?"

"I would pay to see that sort of thing in action… in fact!" Mickey pulled out a small pouch, silver, and tossed it up and down in one hand. "What's say we have a rousing good competition? We both take a few shoots, and whoever hits the middle closest, wins?"

"If you want to lose your money that badly, I'm more than happy to take it from you." Mortimer grinned, and shook Mickey's hand again, sealing the deal. "Let's start it off with twenty yards!"

Minnie managed to catch up, and tugged on Mortimer's arm, trying to interject. Mickey was an excellent aim, he never missed, as she remembered that clearly from fighting him and from reading his reports. "Wait, Mortimer, don't, he's a-" But she was shoved backwards, with him not even sparing her a glance.

"Not now, can't you see the men are busy?"He brushed down his sleeve, and then took aim at the already established target. With one eye closed, he held up his pistol, took him, and let the bullet fly. It shone in the air, landing directly in the red of the middle. He blew the smoke off the top in pride, as his friends cheered wildly, clapping loudly in his victory. "Think you can do better?" Mortimer offered the gun to Mickey, who nodded respectfully.

"It's certainly worth a try." He copied Mortimer's exact movement, right down to the eye, and fired. He hit the outermost circle, which was way off. As the friends went into mocking whoops of laughter, Minnie stared at the target, stunned. Surely something that close was easy picking for Mickey! Why had his aim been so off? Puzzled into silence, she watched Mickey, who looked like he was taking his defeat calmly. "I guess no one is as good as you, old bean." He emptied part of the pouch, putting several hold pieces into one of Mortimer's pocket. "However, I've been known to be a sucker for punishment… what's say we try for fifty yards?"

"I say you're about to lose more gold!" Mortimer shook a fist to his companions, who began to chant his name. With a wave of his hand, small servants raced out onto the grass, placing a fresh target mark further away to the destined place. The pistol exchanged hands once more, Mortimer posed once more, fired once more – due to the distance, it did not hit exactly the middle, but fared close to the red dot, hitting the closest circle around it. When the pistol was Mickey's, he fired, this time just barely scratching the outermost circle. He merely bowed to all of the insults and guffaws lashed out at him, everyone pointing out what a fool he was and how terrible of a shot he was. Minnie was so confused by this display that she forgot about warning Mortimer.

This just wasn't making any sense to the maiden, as she watched more of Mickey's gold hit Mortimer's pocket. Surely that first battle between him and her hadn't been pure luck. She knew he was a good shot, far better than Mortimer. Mortimer only did these target practices to show off, which was the motivation behind almost everything he did. He had never been properly trained and had never seen a day of combat. So why was Mickey faltering here? What could be causing his aim to be off so radically? What did this have to do with treasure? Nothing was making sense, and it made Minnie's head spin.

"You truly are a man among men, Mortimer." Mickey felt safe enough to use the name, arms crossed, and one finger tapping his elbow. "Why, nobody could beat you… but how about one more game? One hundred yards?"

Mortimer heartily slapped Mickey on the back, nearly causing the smaller mouse to fall over. "I've never met anyone who liked losing as much as you do! But my friend, you're all out of cash!"He grabbed the silver pouch right out of Mickey's hand, and dumped it upside down to prove how it lacked. "Do you want to look like a moron for free?"

Mickey chuckled quietly, waiting for the other men to stop laughing before continuing. "True, true… then, let's say… oh, I don't know…" As he pretended to come up with an idea, his eyes drifted towards Minnie. "Since you have taken all of my money… why not wager something of yours for a change?" Mortimer snatched his gun back, and then twirled it in his hand, a soft struggle in his mind. It was clear on his face that he did not want to give up anything, yet his pride would not allow him back down. Mickey jumped onto the mental argument, leaning forward with his arms behind him. "Unless you're afraid…"

Minnie wondered how Mickey knew just the right button to push Mortimer, as the tallest mouse jerked in place, and crossed his arms. "Afraid? Don't be ridiculous! I was just… wondering what to wager."

"If I may offer?" Mickey lazily waved a hand towards confused Minnie, as if noticing she was really there for the first time. "If I can beat your mark, your lady marries me instead?"

Minnie jolted to attention immediately, gloved hands clenching. "Excuse me?" Was this his aim? To humiliate her all over again?

Mortimer hesitated for the smallest of seconds, and the deal was cinched in his mind when he saw a hint of a smirk on Mickey's face. He tossed the pouch over his shoulder, and called out to his servants. "One hundred yards!"

"Mortimer!" Minnie tried to get in his way, flailing in an attempt to get his attention. "Are you insane? I'm not some trophy!"

"Will you relax?" The fiancé grabbed her by the shoulder, tightly as always, and roughly shoved her until she was behind him. "A good woman is seen, and not heard." Though she continued to protest, she was drowned out by the other men applauding Mortimer, as the new target was set up. "Winner gets the girl, huh? I'll even wrap you up in ribbons for you!" Ignoring the glare his future was wife was boring into his back, he took aim, and fired instantly. This time, he only managed to hit the outermost circle, almost missing the target entirely. He just shrugged it off, convinced it was as good as it was going to get, and placed it in Mickey's hands. "All yours, kiddo."

Mickey took a deep breath, and wiped imaginary sweat off of his brow, his arm waving as if the gun suddenly became ten pounds heavier. "I suppose if I miss, I become the laughingstock of the entire party… that would be an utter travesty." With an overly dramatic sigh, he held up the gun. "But I made my bed, it's time for me to lay in it…" Then, suddenly, his fake smiles shifted, curling into the familiar smirk Minnie knew all too well, eyes glinting as his posture changed. "… And with any luck, she'll be in it with me."

As his arm quickly lashed out, Minnie recognized the stance he was taking, from her first fight with the pirate, and all the pieces became together. Blood draining from her face, she tried to reach out to grab him, but Mortimer blocked her away. "No, no, no, don't let him fire!" She yelped, desperate, ignored. "Don't let him fire!"

It was too late, and the bullet screamed sharply in the air, smacking right in the center of the target, shattering all of the circles wrapped around it. Dead silence filled the party, all eyes on the decimated target, and then on the victor, who twirling the weapon in his hand. "What do you know?" He chirped, looking straight at Minnie. "Guess I win, and the bride is mine." He reached to take Minnie's hand, but before he could kiss her knuckles, he was yanked away hard at the elbow, Mortimer snarling as fierce as a demon dog.

"You cheated!" The taller one growled, fingers tightening their grip. Mortimer could be very petty, and hated to be shown he was anything less than what he thought he was. "You must have cheated! I'm the best shot there is!"

"It's your gun, how could I cheat?" To prove it, Mickey pointed it right at Mortimer's head, right between the eyes. "Aren't you a man of your word? We agreed she'd be mine if you lost. Everyone heard you."

"You - !" Mortimer moved to punch Mickey in the face, but the smaller mouse was already out of his grip, putting a foot in Mortimer's stomach and knocking him down. Just as fast as he'd done that, he put an arm around Minnie's waist, holding her close.

"So, honeymoon, what are your ideas?" Mickey leaned his face in close, trying to plant a kiss on her cheek. Before she could yell at him for treating her like a prize or slapping him – she couldn't decide which first – the sound of sirens took over all of the sounds. All heads arched upwards, as the sun was blocked out by several small air ships, long ropes descending from each and every one. Women of the N.A.V.Y. began sliding down the ropes, weapons in hand, looking for the one they had been called to arrest. The party-goers began to yell back and forth, demanding to know why the N.A.V.Y. had suddenly appeared to invade their party.

Mickey took one good look at the organized chaos, and released his hold on her, stepping backwards. "Oh well… these stuffed shirts were becomin' a real headache." His dialect easily slipped back into casual pirate speech, unbuttoning his jacket. "Best take the treasure and go." With a toss, his outfit was off – revealing, somehow, his normal sea dog wear right underneath. He stuck two fingers in his mouth, and produced a whistle pitched enough to shatter several wine glasses.

"Oi, oi, cap'n, we hear ye plenty." One of Mortimer's 'friends' chuckled as he stepped forward. As Mortimer stood up, more men stepped forward, and it became readily apparent to him that several of these party-goers weren't on the guest list, and had just wandered in. One tossed Mickey his hat, and another fired into the air – and then, the world was confusion.

Hidden pirates sprang out from every nook and cranny, and the naval women began their chase. The real party-goers yelled in terror, running this way and that, their valuables snatched right off of their bodies. Tables were upturned, food was thrown, and Minnie lost sight of her pirate in the mess. She tried to look for him, but was forcibly turned around by not only Daisy, but Clarabelle as well, both looking distressed. "Thank goodness you're all right!" Clarabelle got down on one knee, holding Daisy and Minnie's uniforms and weapons in her arms. "We came as fast as we could… hurry, you girls have to change."

"I don't have time!" Minnie snapped, yanking her skates right out of the cow's hands, tossing her high heels aside to jam her skates onto her feet. "He said he's taking his treasure and going! I have to go after him now!"

Daisy looked at Clarabelle, and then back to Minnie, perplexed. "What treasure?"

"I don't know!" Minnie yanked a fresh gun out, looking around wildly. "But I'm not letting him get away this time! He's mine!"With those final two words, she yanked off her outermost dress, not having time to change into the uniform, so it was to great surprise to them when Minnie began running off, in only her petticoat and under-things. Her feet became fast, and she heard his insanely high whistle again, coming right from the mansion. She spotted him on the top of one of the lower windows, and he caught her looking. He winked, and motioned to her with one finger, an enticement for her to come after him. With a click of her heels, her skates emitted steam, and she was already running up the mansion's walls, sliding once the steam was built up enough.

She caught up with him soon enough, but he was already running and jumping, using the entire mansion as an obstacle course. She tried to fire at him, but he dodged every shot. Even worse, with every miss, he would look behind, and stick out his tongue like a child. It only served to make her angrier and more determined, and they chased along the rooftops, zigzagging around multiple chimneys. When he jumped to land on a balcony, she stopped her movement, trying to aim at him when he became still. "Where's the treasure!" She barked at him, still not clear exactly what he stole.

He wiggled his eyebrows, enjoying the game. "Tellin' me ye don't get it already?"

"Answer me!" She jumped off the roof, and landed on the balcony, where the pirate had already kicked the windows open, seemingly vanishing. She ran inside the building, expecting the chase to resume itself. What she didn't expect was to suddenly be grabbed by the arms, and deeply kissed right on the mouth.

Her first kiss and it was taken by a pirate. She'd be enraged, if she wasn't absolutely stunned stupid.

He held her firmly there, almost able to feel the heat radiating off her rose-red cheeks. Only when he was wondering if she was remembering to breathe did he finally pull back, cradling the girl in his arms. "Yer the great treasure there's ever been." He murmured, soft, deep, right into her ear, letting her lean on his shoulder. "Mark my word… one day, I will steal ye away." He placed a thumb on her chest, directly over her rapidly beating heart. "And I'm going to make ye my bride." He cupped her still reddening cheeks in his hands, and kissed her forehead silently. She hadn't said a word, and couldn't. Her brain could still hear him, but aside from listening, it had shut down entirely. Her arms slumped at her sides, weapon dropping onto the floor. He wore that same expression again, that odd mixture of longing, needing, happiness, and that word that began with l that could not possibly be true.

More sirens blared, and so he released her once more, turning right around, and running off into the endless hallway. As always with his heists, no one would be severely harmed, though many things would be stolen. As for Minnie, her mouth still slightly agape, she loudly hit the floor face first with a rather loud _THUMP_, and it would be quite the while before she found the mental strength to move on.

_Did he just propose?_

**End of Chapter Five.**


	6. Marriage Versus Mutiny

As always, thanks to Lies for editing! In this chapter, Minnie reveals just what Mickey did to her, Mickey's crew is looked into, the corporate world of Scrooge McDuck is explored, and Millicent's secret is revealed, though I'm fairly sure a number of you already guessed it.

* * *

><p>Normally, girls in the N.A.V.Y. were allowed to be off duty for a week at the most. Minnie, however, had stormed back to headquarters the day after her engagement party, and had dragged Daisy along with her. Daisy demanded to know why they had to return so early, but Minnie had been strangely silent about what happened during the party. Every time Daisy tried to ask what had happened when Minnie went after Mickey, Minnie's face would go bright red, and she'd break something nearby. Eventually Daisy gave up asking , and instead listened to what Minnie was demanding. Minnie insisted they needed to find Clarabelle and Millicent and find out if they had learned anything about Mickey and his crew.<p>

Clarabelle had been in her assigned room, using her radio to talk to Horace. She had been in the middle of sharing the latest gossip – supposedly a deer friend of hers was seeing a crazy cat – when her door slammed open, revealing a confused Daisy and an angered Minnie on the other side. Minnie quickly launched into questioning. "What did you find out?"

Clarabelle stared, her hand still on the radio. "… About what?"

"About Mickey!" Minnie stomped inside, going up to her taller friend. "What did you find out?"

"Is this a bad time?" Horace's voice crackled over the radio, but he went ignored.

Clarabelle sat down in her wooden chair, one leg lopped over the other. "Minnie, we just started looking! Not to mention we were busy yesterday, what with, you know, trying to save your party guests…"

"So you haven't done anything." Minnie huffed, sitting down on Clarabelle's bed. "And where's Millie?"

Clarabelle shrugged to that. "Yesterday she said she was coming down with something, and didn't want to risk getting anyone sick, so she went home."

Daisy walked inside, smirking as an idea came to her. "Anyone wanna bet she's seeing her mystery guy?"

"Oh, please." Clarabelle snorted, though sported the same smirk. "Millie's such a stickler for the rules, she wouldn't fake being sick to see some guy. She'd more likely fake seeing a guy rather than admit being sick!" She and Daisy giggled over their mutual friend's denial, until Minnie slammed her hands down on the bed.

"I'll go visit Millie at her place, then!" She growled, in no mood for gossip or teasing. "Stick to the subject! I need to know everything about Mickey, so I can find him and arrest him!"

Horace made another attempt to be heard. "Um… is it okay to ask just what's goin' on over there?"

"It's just like I've been telling you, Horace." Clarabelle sighed, annoyed at how angry Minnie was. "The pirate crashed her engagement party. I don't blame her for being so upset, but honestly, what's she expecting us to do?"

"If you ask me…" Daisy carefully looked at Minnie, tapping her beak in contemplation. "Something else is going on." Minnie was quiet, and the familiar blush came again. Daisy suddenly rushed to grab Minnie's hands to ensure nothing else would break. "Ooooh, no you don't! Minnie, did something else happen during that party?"

Minnie looked away, and Clarabelle leaned in, also curious. Silence filled the room, and then Minnie sighed, eyes downcast. "… What I tell you can't leave this room, understand?"

Daisy put a hand over her heart. "I won't tell a soul."

Clarabelle saluted. "My lips are sealed. And I actually mean it this time."

"Uh, maybe I should turn this off…" Horace offered, but he was once again ignored for the more important matter.

Minnie took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, turning even redder by the second as she remembered. "… You girls know how I ran after Mickey during that invasion. W-well, I, I caught up to him, and he…" Her shoulders sank, and her voice became quieter. "And he…" Her head lowered, and Daisy and Clarabelle had to nearly bend over to hear her. "And he… k… k… k…"

"Kicked you?" Daisy offered, even though that didn't seem enough to be traumatized over.

"K… K… Ki… Ki… Ki…"

"Kidnapped someone?" Clarabelle tried, even though she knew no one was missing from the party afterwards.

Minnie continued making the strange 'ki' stammering, until Horace interrupted. "Clarabelle, can ya turn the volume up? It almost sounds like she said he kissed her or somethin'!"

"The volume is working just fine!"Clarabelle waved a hand, trying to listen in better. "You're just hearing things, Minnie didn't say…" But then she and Daisy noticed Minnie had stopped speaking, and instead was nodding glumly. This time the bout of silence in the room was even shorter, as Clarabelle jumped to her feet and Daisy dropped Minnie's hands, both reactions in horror, both of them shouting, "Ewwwww! Ew, ew, ew, ew!"

Minnie grimly held a hand, still not looking at them. "It gets worse."

"How could it possibly get worse?" Clarabelle gagged, touching her throat to hopefully keep the bile down. "Did he touch you?"

"Did he try to take off your clothes?" Daisy shrieked, and she and Clarabelle clung to each other in their mutual disgust as the questions piled on, each one more vile and filthy than the last. Minnie shook her head to each one, trying to make herself brave enough to reveal what had happened.

Arching her back and sitting up straight, she uttered the atrocity. "He proposed to me."

Silence for the third time, and when it was broken this time, it was by all three members of the audience saying the exact same word at the exact same time. "…_What_?"

Exasperated, Minnie suddenly began speaking rapidly, wanting to get this horrid ordeal over and done with. "I chased him into the mansion, and then he kissed me, and he called me the great treasure that's ever been, and that he'd steal me away and make me his bride!" She held her cheeks as the awful moment replayed itself in her mind. Even now, she could still feel his lips on top of hers and his breath on her ear. It made her heart flutter – with disgust – and her breath quicken – with disgust – and her head felt lighter than air –disgusting air with all the disgust that has ever been disgusted. It didn't matter if that last one didn't make that much sense, because that's what it had to be, disgust and nothing more.

Daisy let go of Clarabelle to clasp her hands together, eyes shining. "Awwwwww! That's so roman - " A piercing glare from Minnie cut her off, and she scrambled to find a different word. "… That's so… roman…unman… umanly? I mean, ewwwww!" She smiled nervously in an attempt to make up for her error.

Clarabelle plopped back in her seat, shaking her head. "I don't buy it." That caused her friends to look over with questioning looks. "That wasn't a proposal, he's just messing with your head. That's how these pirates work, they play mind games. Maybe he's trying to make sure you can't capture him." She mimed firing a pistol with her hands. "You're chasing him, ready to take him down, but then you think about this so-called proposal, and you can't fire. That's how they get you."

Daisy nodded in agreement, but Minnie's lips twisted, not sure if she agreed too. "I don't know… he sounded pretty serious…" There had been no casualty or playfulness in his embrace or his kiss. Looking back on the moment, as she had done plenty since it happened, he had been soft but firm with each word. There weren't any ifs, ands, or buts in what he had said. He was going to make her his bride, and that was that.

"Maybe you should go see Millie after all." Daisy pulled on Minnie's hands, trying to get her off the bed. "She might have the info you need by now… like, say, if he's ever proposed to any other girls?" She wagged a cautious finger. "For all we know, he could have twenty wives!

She expected Minnie to be insulted by the idea, yet strangely, Minnie didn't even seem to get mad. "No… I don't think so." She brushed down her uniform. "He just didn't seem the type to have a girlfriend before." The accidental touches they had aboard The Hawkins had seemed to suggest that the touch of a woman was something new and startling for him. She headed for the door, unaware of the worried glance the cow and the duck exchanged. "I'll see you girls later. I'll tell Millie you said hi."

When she was gone, Daisy shrugged. "You'd think Minnie was the expert on him." Dismissing the matter, she left soon after. She had no intentions of following Minnie, but it was too late to go back on leave. She would just have to report for duty and ensure that for once Clarabelle's gossip wouldn't spread.

Clarabelle propped her legs on her desk. "I tell you, Horace, sometimes I think you have it way easier in the A.R.M.Y. Bet none of you ever got kissed or proposed to by pirates!" The friends laughed together at the audacity, until Horace suddenly groaned in pain. Startled, Clarabelle shoved her legs off, making a grab for the radio. "Horace? What is it?"

There was another groan before he answered, and he tried to sound cheerily casual. "It's nothin'… just my back again."

Clarabelle groaned in return, hers being of annoyance. "What have I told you about taking it easy? Have you been missing your appointments with the doctor again?" She already knew the answer, but demanded the question anyway. The way Horace could be so irresponsible with his health was enough to drive her crazy.

"I didn't miss any…" Though his voice sounded uneasy as he explained. "…I just postponed them." He then spoke quickly, knowing an argument was coming. "I am gunna go, honest! But Baloo just wants one more check on his plane, and then there's the inspections, and- "

"Horace Horsecollar!" Clarabelle's fist slammed on top of her desk, almost making the radio jump. "I don't care if the King himself wants a plane, you have to meet your appointments! At this rate, your back will never be healed properly, and that'll ruin the rest of your life! What kind of moron are you?" She was all but hissing on him, glaring at the radio as if that object was him. If it was him, she would have no doubt throttled the unhealthy horse by the neck.

There was hesitance for a minute on the other end. "… I'll go, I'll go… but… I wanna know… do you still blame yourself for what happened?" He knew the subject was touchy, and already guessed what her response would be. However, he always took this chance whenever it was available, hoping that each time could be the time when they would actually talk about what happened that night. "It wasn't your - " Clarabelle promptly switched the radio off.

* * *

><p>Of all the things that Mickey had missed during his month long stay on The Hawkins, playing with his dog Pluto ranked high up there. He had gotten Pluto during the pet shop raid, and the canine had been devoted to his master since their eyes met. Mickey's ship warranted enough room for a good game of fetch, and the upper deck had been cleared for his games. Sometimes other crew members would join in, playing keep away with the red rubber ball that Pluto loved to chew. Today, it was just Mickey and Pluto, until the dog had flopped onto his back, wanting a belly rub. Mickey had happily begun rubbing when a shadow loomed over the two of them. Mickey could easily identify who was looming by how round the shadow was. "Pete. I take it yer not here ta play?"<p>

One-Eyed Pete was one of the strongest members of the Mouseketeers, but not the smartest. Most of his body had been replaced by mechanics, including one eye, one arm, and one leg. Rumors held that this was done voluntarily, and that he sought out to be a captain in his own right. His respect to Mickey was few and far between, so no one could understand why Mickey kept him around. Even now, Pete's teeth were grating, peering his glassy green eye down at the shorter one. "What's alla this nonsense about marryin' some N.A.V.Y lass?"

Mickey continued petting his pet, not even lifting his head up. "I thought what I told all of ye was perfectly clear. When Minnie and I get married, I expect weddin' gifts from the lot of ye, and that ye treat her as well as ye treat me… better, even." He had made the announcement hours before crashing the engagement party, and had been asked at least six times afterward if he was feeling well. Eventually the rest of the crew had decided to adhere to Mickey's strange desires, either figuring Mickey would get over her sooner or later, or enjoying the new adventure he was tossing their way. "What's the nonsense in it?"

"Everythin's nonsense!" Pete barked, demanding to be looked at, but Mickey still wouldn't budge. "Yer gunna start wasting our time chasin' after some wench who wants yer head on a silver platter! I won't be any part of it, no I won't!" he then jabbed a fleshy finger into a chest, even though he knew he wasn't being looked at. "I was the one who held this crew together while ye were held up by those women! I was the one who got the new recruits, who made sure all the ties to the museum pay off were cut off, and I was the one who made sure that Goofy didn't screw somethin' up fer once!" There was a pause after the last boast. "… Where is that empty headed goof, anyway?"

"Said he had business on land." Mickey replied calmly, now scratching his pleased pooch behind the ears. "Won't be back 'til tomorra. And if ye don't like me gettin' married, then yer not invited ta the weddin'. More cake for us." He then stood up, though Pluto whined that the attention had stopped. "But I guess I should take a look at those recruits…" he finally faced Pete, sizing him up. "First things first. If ye wanted to be rewarded for what ye've done, shoulda just said somethin'."

Pete proudly puffed out his chest, glad to have won the argument. Truth be told, he thought he'd make a far better captain than Mickey if he ever got the chance. The no-killing rule, the raids on toy stores and pet shops, and the brotherly attitude towards his men made Mickey look like a little boy trying to put on big boy wants in Pete's eyes. Pirates needed to be tough, and one day, he would show Mickey how a leader really did the job. For now, he'd take whatever reward he could get. "I just did! So, what's my reward for all of me hard, loyal work?"

Mickey gave a swift kick to Pete's one real shin, and when the cat howled in pain and hopped up and down on his mechanical leg, he turned to head towards the lower deck. "That's yer reward for callin' me Minnie a wench." Pluto stood on all fours and followed his master down below, ignoring Pete's sailor swears as he was left alone. Below deck, the new members of the crew were sitting at one of the many dining tables, barely listening to the parrot at the head of the table. This frustrated the red and blue parrot more and more, raising his voice and demanding to be heard, until Mickey was seen walking down the stairs and into the room. "I'll take it from here, Iago."

The little bird huffed, and the table went silent. "Oh, sure, now you shut your traps! I swear if I ever hear another 'Polly want a cracker' jib, I'm callin' a mutiny! I say we throw all of these guys overboard!"

Mickey ignored him, pulling out a seat out at the other end of the table and sitting, with Pluto loyally plopping beside him. "I don't blame any of ye for not listening ta the bird brain… but he's actually a valued member of me crew. As all of ye will be." He lifted his hat to get a better look at the men before him. Pete hadn't been picky, it appeared, for these men ranged from teenagers to over the hill, heavily muscled to the asthmatic, and one particularly odd one wearing a brown cloak and impatiently tapping cat nails on the table. "… As yer captain, it's me job to look out fer me boys. I won't say we're a family… cause yer ma's not on the ship yet." He looked to Iago. "Did ye tell 'em about Minnie?"

Iago hopped onto the table with a grumble. "It was my pleasure, Captain, to tell them all about how you're scrapping some of our heist plans so you can stalk some chick who wants to arrest you."

"Good work!" Mickey clapped his hands, and addressed the recruits once again. "Aye, some of our plans have been… pushed aside." He thought that was a fair description. Wooing women was an intricate task, and though he was fairly certain that Minnie had feelings for him, there was the whole matter of her firm attachment to the N.A.V.Y. life and that nonsensical engagement to Mortimer. In order to make her his, he would have to arrange 'dates' to see her. Mickey had never wooed a woman before, so he had to make room for trial and error. He could do the pushed aside heists once Minnie was his, because those jobs didn't have a set time on them, and would still be around when Minnie was his bride. He was staggeringly confident that Minnie would be his and it was only a matter of time.

"But that doesn't mean yer not gunna get yer fair share of lootin'. In fact, I'm gunna give all of ye yer first chance to prove yerselves." He began to pull out a long piece of rolled up paper from within his jacket. "Pete's not the sharpest sword, but I got faith in him, and that he picked each and every one of ye out for a reason. If he trusts ye, then so do I. All of ye have potential, and it's with this that we'll find out exactly what it is." As he flattened the paper out on the table, some of the recruits began to whisper among themselves. Pete had been surly when recruiting them, so the majority had figured the captain would be twice as mean. It was a shock to see how already Mickey was treating them with respect and worth. Those that had been unsure about joining were already feeling more at ease.

The paper turned out to be a map, and Mickey tapped the middle of it. "In two days time, there'll be a christenin' of a cruise ship on the shore of Ipswich. It's really just some fancy pants showin' off his latest boat, and it's gunna be filled with riches. There's gunna be a lot of party guests, so keep an eye out fer jewelry. The big aim will be the kitchen, 'cause this ship belongs to the son of a huge winery. Even just one of the bottles we find is enough ta send ye off to retirement!" He waited a moment to let the excitement sink in for the recruits before frowning and setting off a serious tone. "However… there's one thing I need ta make clear for this heist, and fer every heist." He then slammed a hand forcibly down on the map. "No one kills. No one takes a life. Wound if ye have to, knock 'em out if ye need to, but I will not have any murderers on me ship!"

The murmurs of the new ones became louder, and one very tall and very hairy man stood up. "But, captain, what if they try to kill us?"

"Defend yerself as best ye can." Mickey took his hand off of the map. "But not even then can ye take that life. We are makin' a livin', and so are they. No one has the right to take a life. Not me, not ye, not anyone." He settled back down in his chair. "If anyone here doesn't think they can follow that rule, they can leave now."

The tall, hairy man slowly sat back down, but several others rose up and quietly left the room. The cat in the hood hadn't even budged from his spot. Once the deserters had left, Mickey was all smiles once more, and looked towards the original speaker. "Change yer mind?"

"Nope." The man smiled in return. "Now my mind's more set than ever."

Mickey grinned, already liking these new additions to his crew. "What's yer name?"

"Sweetums, Captain." He saluted in respect, and after a moment, the remaining men repeated the action.

"Good to have ye aboard, Sweetums." Mickey's lip twitched as he suppressed the urge to laugh at such an alias. "Let's see what ye've got… what ye all can do." He looked back at the map, ready to explain his plans. "Now, the son is a duke… Lord Osmond, or Oscar, somethin' like that…"

* * *

><p>While Minnie was off to see Millie and Mickey was showing his new crew the ropes, Scrooge McDuck was doing some searching and explaining as well. A man with his riches could afford more than communication via radio, and so in his conference room there were several video screens displaying the people he had called. Propping his cane onto his arm, he sat down and folded his hands upon his desk. "I should hope all of you understand exactly why I'm arranging this meeting. I hate to spread the wealth, but after what happened to my museum, it's looking better to play it safe than sorry."<p>

"I must object, Mr. McDuck." Captain Amelia was on the screen to the far left, communicating from her own office on the damaged Hawkins. "Consorting with a vigilante group is the exact opposite of playing it safe. These unmanaged groups can't be trusted, and they're just as likely to commit felonies, in the name of their version of justice."

"I object to your objection!" Drake – now in his Darkwing persona – snapped on the screen to the far right, and due to the lack of lighting in his area, it was impossible to see where he was calling from. He had also taken the precaution of making his line untraceable, not for want of trying on both Amelia and Scrooge's parts. "The Justice Ducks are not only managed, but we haven't committed any felonies, and nor do we plan to. We are just as qualified, if not more so, to guard the reopening of his museum." It almost looked like he was trying not to add a 'nyah nyah' to the end of that sentence. "And correct me if I'm wrong, which won't happen because I'm never wrong, but wasn't it one of your subordinates that caused the museum to be robbed?"

Amelia didn't even flinch. "The actions of one private do not demean our entire group. She has been properly punished - "

"Yep, yep, yep…" Darkwing grinned while wagging a finger. "Didn't the same private cause the escape of a pirate? Captain Mickey of the Mousketeers, the very same one in charge of the museum robbery. "

"While she had a hand in the matter, the problem was unexpected technology." Amelia's eyes shifted to a different screen. "Which leads me to my second objection."

The screen she was looking to was the middle one for Scrooge, and showed a raven haired female duck, who was sitting in her own office of black and grey. Her business attire was also darkly colored, save for a red necklace. She was continuously running her hand over a thin golden staff with a purple crystal on top, even though she was hardly at an age where she needed a staff to help walking. She lifted her eyes as she knew she was being directed at. "You're very quick to point blame at everyone but yourself, Captain. You wouldn't be suggesting that my security systems were the flaw in any of this?"

"I'm not _suggesting_ anything, Miss DeSpell." Amelia replied stiffly, keeping her hands still. "You are the head of one of the most advanced technology producing companies in all four kingdoms, yet a single password from my private was enough to let an entire pirate crew inside. Additionally, there have been rumors of black market deals within your subordinates, paying pirates to steal treasure for them, and letting pirates test run the latest inventions. I would not be surprised if one of those deals led the Mousketeers to possess that yo-yo and their ship."

To this, Scrooge held up a hand. "Captain, I know you better than to resort to rumors and speculation. Magica is one of my business partners, and we have been working together since she inherited the company from her parents twenty years ago, and I won't tolerate pettiness because of your failures. If you have proof of these deals, I'd love to hear them, but until then, you and your women will do just what they're instructed to do! The only reason I'm talking to you instead the head of the A.R.M.Y. is because your side is cheaper! And if I hear that this same private that keeps screwing up will be anywhere near my museum, I'll do whatever it takes to see you working behind a cash register!"

"If I can be of some service?" Darkwing piped up, eager to dive in before Amelia could try and save herself. "The Justice Ducks would be glad to search through these rumors and prove them false. If Miss DeSpell wouldn't mind us inspecting the employees accused of these acts, we'll report back exactly what's true and what isn't. I'm sure we'll have her full cooperation."

A voice lurked somewhere in Darkwing's background, and a large shouldered shadow moved around in his screen. "Hey, DW, didn't you tell me that you thought Mss DeSpell was one of the biggest heads of the black market and that – OW!" Darkwing had suddenly jabbed the background shadow in the ribs, and then twiddled his thumbs like nothing had happened.

Magica's look of amusement had long since worn out. "I don't recall asking for your help, Mr. Darkwing" She looked to Amelia, and then tossed some hair over her shoulder, flippant. "But if it'll make the Captain feel better, I can arrange a meeting between you and my niece. She and her division are in charge of all our legal matters."

"Arrange them on your own time." Scrooge growled, not wanting to waste time on deals that didn't involve him. Even if Magica was his partner, his patience was running thin with all of this useless competition going around. "This was never a matter of asking for any of your opinions. All three of you and your teams are going to guard my museum when it reopens, and you're going to work together!" He pointed to Amelia. "There will be no sight of that bungling private…" He pointed to Darkwing. "There are going to be no crimes committed for the sake of its protection…" He then gave one last point to Magica. "And there will be no bad press before and after its opening! Am I understood?"

"Of course, Scroogie darling." Magica's response was enough to make Amelia and Darkwing's heads swivel in surprise. She was now all cheer, even batting a few eyelashes at her business partner. "I'll personally see to it that the security system is updated and even better than ever. Not even the most bungling private will be able to ruin it." Casting a smile to Amelia for the dig, she stood up from her desk. "If this is all that needed to be discussed, I must be going. I do have a meeting to arrange now, after all. I believe Mr. Darkwing knows my number… though I don't know his." She looked to Darkwing with a raised eyebrow.

"And you won't be getting it." Darkwing snootily held up his beak. "The Justice Ducks are all about secrecy and privacy. Don't call us, we'll call you." Without warning, he suddenly turned off his line. Magica rolled her eyes and followed suit.

Amelia looked at Scrooge with slight uncertainty. Though she had her own opinions about trusting the others, she unfortunately couldn't afford to anger Scrooge further. Though the N.A.V.Y. and A.R.M.Y. were government functions, it was common knowledge that the richest men in the kingdom helped the monetary necessities of the groups. Those with way too much cash to burn had a bigger hand in politics and government than she cared to think about. "… I apologize for any pettiness." Though she hardly sounded apologetic, she saluted respectfully, and turned off her own line.

Scrooge sighed heavily, getting up from his seat. "I've told Magica to stop calling me that…" Why she thought she could so familiar to him, he just didn't know. He worked with plenty of women, and they had the sense to treat him as a superior, or at least an equal. Magica, in all twenty years of their union, was often fond of treating Scrooge like a flirting teenager instead. If she hadn't been so great raking him in money, he would have gotten rid of her as soon as possible. He picked up his cane, and walked to the door, calling out. "Ducksworth!"

The tall dog butler paused in wiping down a window, looking over when he was named. "Yes, sir?"

"Has there been any word back from the wedding planner?" Scrooge walked to the window, personally inspecting it, though he knew Ducksworth always did a great job at anything he was ordered to do. "It feels like it's been ages since we last heard from her."

"She hasn't called back, sir." Ducksworth resumed wiping. "But it's not a cause for worry. She made it perfectly clear that the museum fiasco will not affect the wedding plans. Everything should carry on as planned for Donald and Miss Daisy."

Scrooge fingered an imaginary dirty spot, needing to do something to vent. "I should hope so! Honestly, everything seems to be falling apart, no matter what I do. These pirates have no respect for anyone. I worked hard for all of those treasures in my museum and for every piece of gold in my vault! And do you know how? By - "

"By being smarter than the smarties, tougher than the toughies, and you made it square, sir." Ducksworth stepped back when his work was finished, trying to sidestep Scrooge's annoyance at his stolen catchphrase. "On a note of being smart, perhaps you should have called Miss DeSpell separately. You know how she tends to be, when you're talking to other women."

Scrooge's eyes narrowed as he faced his butler. Though he trusted his servant, there were certain lines that could not be crossed. "Were you listening in on that meeting?"

"Perish the thought, sir." Ducksworth turned to go in order to attend to his other chores. As always, his tone was as civil as what was required by the job. "You've just been blushing these past five minutes."

Naturally that just made the elder duck turn even redder. "It's just a fever! I'm old, I get sick easily! Oooh, that's coming out of your paycheck!"

* * *

><p>The stars were beginning to shine in the night sky by the time Minnie got to Millie's flat. Though the N.A.V.Y. paid girls well, Millie insisted on living frugally, and was living in a tiny room in a tinier apartment. As Minnie approached the second floor where Millie lived, she wondered if maybe this was going too far in her hunt for Mickey. If Millie really was sick, what right did Minnie have bothering her about Mickey? He was a menace that needed to be punished for his outlandish promises, but Millie's health had to be taken into consideration. On the other hand, Millie could use the company while she was ill. Minnie liked Millie, and Millie liked Minnie, and Minnie used that excuse to make herself go forward to bother her.<p>

Millie had given keys to her apartment to their select group of friends, saying her home was their home. The poodle was always amazingly generous like that, so even if she had no information on Mickey, she'd be at least a kind ear to hear Minnie's woes. It was also only fair to tell Millie what Daisy and Clarabelle now knew, as this foursome of friends was very tight. It just wouldn't be fair to leave anyone out of this crazy story. When Minnie approached the door, she inserted the key, but to her surprise found the door already unlocked. It was natural of N.A.V.Y. girls to lock their doors even when they were home, for pirates could be on the loose and go right after their enemies. Was Millie so ill that she forgot such a basic rule?

Minnie opened the door quietly, in case Millie had settled for a nap. Once inside, she did her friend a kindness by locking the door for her. As the key twisted, a male voice hit her ears. "Aw, don't cha worry none, Millie!" Minnie froze in place. A male voice? Millie didn't have any close living male relatives, so this couldn't have been a family visit. Could this be the mystery man that Millie was constantly denying having? Was Daisy right, and that Millie had faked being ill to see her lover? Minnie's own problems were forgotten in an instant.

Minnie bit her lower lip as she tried to make a decision. If Millie was seeing her boyfriend, then Minnie really was being a bother, so the polite thing to do would be to leave. However, the curiosity of what this boyfriend could be like was too large to be ignored. One little peek wouldn't hurt! Besides, since they were such good friends, it was up to Minnie to see that Millie only dated worthy men. It would also be nice to once have information that Clarabelle didn't have, and Minnie would be kind enough not to spread around what she found. Finding all of these excuses plausible, she quickly dove into the coat closet before she could be spotted.

She carefully watched through the slightly open door, trying to see where the voice was coming from. Come to think of it, this voice was familiar, but Minnie couldn't nail it down right away. "I know him better than anyone, and he means every word! If ye can trust me, than ye can trust him too!"

'Ye'? Only one type of person used such degrading language, and Minnie felt like her heart was stopping. Her fears only escalated when she spotted the owner of the voice, sitting comfortably on a blue couch with one leg propped over the other. It was the tall, lanky, floppy eared, buck toothed, black furred, orange and green wearing pirate that had helped the museum robbery, and the same one from the wanted posters Daisy had shared! The one that Clarabelle and Millie had been betrayed by, the one that was a member of Mickey's crew! This was the pirate Goofy, and he was sitting in Millie's apartment like he belonged there!

Minnie's mind bounced to all kinds of theories except the obvious one. Millie was being robbed! She was being held hostage! She was being kidnapped! Whatever it was, she needed help, and Minnie couldn't just stand there and do nothing. She carefully began to pull out her pistol from her belt, regretting not having made sure Daisy came along to this trip. Could she be able to take down a man twice her size, if Millie was, as Minnie guessed, incapacitated? Before she could strike up a plan, the poodle herself came into view. She was out of uniform, and instead was wearing a green fluffy dress, nervously pulling at the lacy gloves on her hands. "Oh, you know I trust you… I just don't think this is the best idea. You haven't seen how upset she's been lately! I honestly don't know what to do…" She swallowed, and her eyes began to water. Her crybaby tendencies looked ready to come into full swing.

Goofy gently took her hands, trying to urge her to sit down beside him. He wasn't threatening or even angry, and was all delicacy and grace. "It'll all work out, Millie! Now don't ye cry none…" When she sat down, he tenderly stroked one of her arms, and then leaned in to kiss her cheek. It appeared to do the trick, as she turned scarlet on both cheeks, and ducked her head with a shy giggle. They lovingly nuzzled their noses together, looking adorably affectionate.

The correct theory finally made itself known in Minnie's head. Looking back on this moment, she probably shouldn't have started shrieking.

**End of Chapter Six.**


	7. Promises Versus Privacy

As always, huge thanks to Lies for editing this. How she deals with all of those typos, I have no idea.

* * *

><p>By the time Minnie realized she had started to shriek, it was too late to stop and pretend she wasn't there. The dogs had jumped off of the couch in fright, with Goofy yanking a pistol off of his belt and Millie scrambling towards the closet door. She slammed it open with ferocity that Minnie didn't know the poodle had, and both girls stared at each other once the mouse was revealed. Millie stood in place, shaking, unable to believe what she was seeing, with Minnie doing the same. The girls silently stared at each other, trying to figure out what had just happened. It was impossible to say how long this staring contest could have gone on, had Goofy not poked his head over Millie's shoulder to see who the intruder was.<p>

"Hey!" He pointed at Minnie with instant cheer, and put his weapon back in its holster. "Yer the Captain's wife!"

"The captain's!" Minnie sputtered, before pointing right back at him, indignant. "I am no such thing! What are you doing here?"

"What are ye doin' here?" Goofy repeated with a tilt of his head, genuinely curious.

"I asked you first!" Minnie went to grab her own pistol, but her arm was yanked by Millie, and she was dragged out of the closet. "H-Hey! I'm trying to help!"

"Ooooh…" Millie whined, looking quickly at her front door, a panicked look on her face. "Who else is here? No, no, if Clarabelle finds out, then it's only a matter of time…" The tears she had just been trying to fight were already back in her eyes.

"No one else is here." Minnie carefully pulled her arm back, and then put her hands on her hips. "I came here to ask if you learned anything about Mickey, but instead I find you with… with this!" She waved her hands at Goofy, who didn't seem to be insulted by the reference. "I want an explanation! And it had better start with 'I was just trying to lull him into a false sense of security by being adorable'!"

Millie and Goofy exchanged a quick glance, trying to decide what to do. Millie heavily sighed, gently holding Minnie's hand and leading her to a tall chair. "Make yourself comfortable… and, well, I'll try to explain as best I can…" Minnie sat, her face still set in a grim expression, and it only became grimmer when Millie and Goofy sat next to each other on the couch again. Millie timidly put her hands in her lap, ducking her head low. "W-well… you see, Minnie… you know how Clarabelle told you that we grew up in the same hometown as Goofy?" Minnie nodded, unsteadily tapping the armrests of her chair. "We were all very close friends… Clarabelle, Horace, Pete, Peggy, Goofy and I… but Goofy was my best friend. He'd always help me home if I got lost, and played with me when the others were too busy…" She then looked up at Goofy, eyes glittering with adoration in fond memory, and he smiled brightly at her. "He'd play house with me, and share his toys with me, and make me laugh, and - "

"_Millie_." Minnie cut in with a huff.

The poodle blushed, looking away again. "S-sorry… um, anyway… one day, we were playing house in an old barnyard we liked to hang out in, and he told me he was running away. He couldn't tell me why, but he said he couldn't stay there anymore. I didn't understand, so, I started to cry and cry, and I begged him not to go, but he said it'd be okay…" She rubbed one hand over the over, closing her eyes for the moment. "And he made me a promise… that the next time we met…. We'd… we'd…" She ducked her head lower and lower, too shy to admit her own memory.

Goofy had no such problem, and chirped the ending. "We'd get married."

Minnie almost jumped out of her seat. "Married?" What was with pirates and spontaneous proposals? They were either more romantic than she gave them credit for, or the biggest morons over the seven seas, and she was inclined to believe the latter. "But you were just kids, weren't you?"

Goofy shrugged one shoulder, and leaned back on the couch. "I didn't even know what 'marry' was, but me ma told me it was like bein' with someone ye like ferever and ever, and I wanted ta do that with Millie, so I made the promise." He held up one pinkie. "We made a pinkie promise on it, that when we'd meet again, we'd get married."

Minnie crossed her arms, already finding flaws within the childhood romance. "What about you running away? Why did you do that?" Goofy would not reply to that, and merely kept smiling. Minnie looked to Millie, who appeared not to have that answer either. Annoyed, Minnie waved a hand. "Fine, go on."

Millie tried to straighten her back as her storytelling duties resumed. "Like Clarabelle said, we ran into Goofy a year ago… the Mouseketeers were doing separate jobs at that time. Goofy and his assigned men were tearing apart a local marketplace. Clarabelle and I split up as we were taking them down, and…" She swallowed, and looked to her lover. "…I found him trying to steal some fake jewelry. I… I hadn't seen him since were children."

Minnie bit her lower lip, becoming more invested in this story than she cared to admit. What a scene it must have been, for a N.A.V.Y. girl confronting a pirate when they had played together in their youth. She could almost picture the scene in her mind, the two of them staring at each other in shock as it was made clear where their lives had taken them. Battles were raging everywhere but in their own space, and they had unknowingly become sworn enemies. "… What did you do?"

Goofy's reply was automatic and still as happy as ever. "I kissed her, a course!" Ignoring Minnie's dropped jaw, he looped an arm over Millie's shoulders, and drew her in close. His girlfriend blushed even deeper, hiding her face in his chest. "I was just so happy ta see her, I couldn't help meself!"

"And once I recovered from fainting…" Millie quietly added, still keeping close to Goofy as she spoke. "… We decided to pick up from where we left off."

Minnie threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Pick up?" While the story was cute, the logic behind it was insane. "For goodness sakes, Millicent! Do you have any idea what will happen to you if you get caught? You could be branded a traitor! You could go to jail… or they might even execute you alongside him!" She shoved herself out of the chair to directly confront them. "He's a pirate, and you know what they're like! What were you thinking?"

Millie grabbed at the hem of her dress, twisting it in her hands as her voice quivered. "I-I… Oooh, Minnie, I know it isn't safe… but, please!" She quickly grabbed Minnie's hands, clasping them tightly together. "Please, you can't tell anyone! I can't lose him… I love him so much!" This time there could be nothing to stop the tears that flowed heavily down her face. "Please, Minnie…"

Minnie told herself that if Millie wasn't so prone to tears, the 'no' in her throat would have come that much easier. "But… but, Millie, he…" Alas, her dear friend was on the verge of sobbing, and despite all of the protocols and rules Minnie clung to, her love for her friends was far more important. "He's a… and we're…" Her logic and her love battled in her head, making her fidget in place. She looked at Goofy, as if expecting him to do something awful so she could back up her argument. Alas, he was being tender and sweet, taking off his bandana to wipe away Millie's tears, stroking her hair with all the gentlest caresses of the best lover. "Oh, please, stop crying, Millie!" That wasn't fair, darn it all! "I won't tell anyone if you stop crying!" At this rate, Minnie was going to burst into tears as well.

"Oh, Minnie!" Millie pulled Minnie into a tight hug, sitting the mouse on her lap. "Thank you, thank you! You're the best friend a girl could ask for!"

Despite the snuggling, Minnie held her nose up high, glaring daggers at the boyfriend. "… But just because I'm not going to tell anyone, it doesn't mean I won't fight him, if we meet again!"

"Fine with me." Goofy nodded in approval, just happy to see his girlfriend relieved. "Millie and I fight every time we meet up durin' the heists… we fool 'em real good!" He grinned in pride, but stopped when Minnie kept up her intense glare. "… Huh. Actually, this kinda works out…" He dug into his pants pocket. "I was supposed ta give this ta Millie, so she could give it to ye…" He pulled out a closed compact mirror, colored silver and with fake jewelry twisted in. He placed it in Minnie's confused hands. "It's a nifty new device we got a hold of… a two-way video! It's real small, see, and can only call one person at a time. The numbers ta call are hidden under the make-up, so anytime ye wanna call the captain, all ye gotta do - "

"Wait a minute!" Minnie shoved the compact right back into Goofy's hands. "I don't want to talk to that rotten captain!" her glare became more heated, leaning in as her questions became more and more angry. "And why did you call me his wife earlier?"

Goofy turned the compact back and forth in his hands, not sure what to do with the rejected gift. "'Cause that's what he says ye are. Told us right before yer engagement party."

For some reason, Minnie hadn't expected that answer, despite the question lodged. She shrank back slightly. "…You're not serious. He's not serious. He can't actually think that was a real proposal?"

Millie rested her head between Minnie's ears, sighing sadly. "That's what we were talking about before you… came in, Minnie. Goofy and I have been keeping our relationship a secret, but his captain is telling anyone who will listen about yours."

"We don't have a relationship!" Minnie immediately snapped upward. "What you and Goofy have might work out for you, but there's no way in a million years I'd ever want anything to do with Mickey, unless it's arresting him!"

Goofy decided to return the compact to his pocket. "Wow, yer even better at foolin' than me and Millie!"

"I'm not fooling!" Furious, Minnie hopped off of Millie's lap, landing on the floor and smoothing down her skirt. "You can tell him that he ruined my career, ruined my life, and the next time we meet, he should hope I don't aim between the eyes!" She then stormed off to the front door, and slammed it hard as she exited. As she continued stomping off, anger continued to bubble up, but not so much as incredulity. She couldn't believe Millie and Goofy had been able to get away with this for an entire year. How was it possible? How could Millie, a fumbling N.A.V.Y. girl who burst into sobs at the drop of a hat, be able to see her darling at any moment, when Minnie really had no chance being with –

"Oh no no no no." Minnie interrupted her own thoughts, tugging hard at one of her spitcurls as punishment. "Let's not go down that path." Jealousy was unbecoming of a lady. Not that she was jealous. That was just a random fact she decided to come up with that had absolutely no backing whatsoever. A helpful reminder, that was all.

Goofy had raised his eyebrows at the dramatic exit and from the stomps he could hear. "Not too fond of him, is she?" He shrugged it off, and decided to leave such matters to his captain. As for his own affairs, he needed to make sure each time with his beloved was worth every second, so before Millie had a chance to fret over her friend, she found herself in Goofy's arms and under an assault of kisses.

* * *

><p>The very next night, Donald was kidnapped off the streets again by Darkwing, but at least he had managed to finish half a bagel this time. Fortunately, Donald had learned since the last time, and had carried around a suitcase that contained his Justice Ducks costume. In his modest opinion, he thought he looked ten times color than Darkwing and his violet fedora. PK the Avenger wore a black mask over his eyes, a blue and black sailor hat, a red and black uniform, yellow boots, and a flowing red and blue cape that guaranteed tripping if he tried to run. Darkwing's opinion was kind as he could make it, once PK finished dressing in the carriage. "You look like a moron."<p>

"You said I could design my costume any way I wanted!" Donald growled as he tugged on his gloves. "I put a lot of hard work into this! This tells everyone not to mess with me!"

"It's not supposed to tell anyone anything!" Darkwing growled right back, another argument imminent. "We work from the shadows! My costume allows me to blend in with the shadows!"

"Violet doesn't blend in!"Donald leaned in, ready to throttle his employer. "The only thing violet blends in with is purple! Cause they're the same thing! You stick out like a sore, purple thing!"

"I'll show you sore!"

The truth was that their yelling argument could have drawn more attention than either costume, but to their good fortune the driver of the carriage drove them fast enough to not make the stares permanent. The driver was another member of the Justice Ducks, Launchpad McQuack. He was a tall and muscular bird, and one of Darkwing's most loyal companions. He was so loyal that he was very used to these fights and could drown them out without a second thought. He didn't need an elaborate costume, as his role for the day was just another carriage driver. As far as anyone would know, he drove for anyone who had the money, not just the squabbling vigilantes inside. He continued to cheerfully drive on until they came to the assigned building, and he knocked on the top of the carriage. "We're here, DW!"

The fight came to an instant halt, and both ducks cautiously opened the side door to poke their heads out. The building reached high into the sky, poking at the clouds, and was colored an eerie black. None of the windows were lighted, and it looked more like a haunted house than a legal office. Yet this was a legal office, and it belonged to the DeSpell family and all of its attached corporations. Darkwing straightened himself out, strutting out of the carriage. "Launchpad, run around the block a few times."

"You got it!" Launchpad saluted, and once Donald had excited, the carriage rode off, blending into the street. The ducks then quickly raced into the adjacent alleyway before they could be spotted, squeezing into the shadows as Darkwing began to pull out other items from Donald's suitcase, having asked the duck to hold onto them during their last encounter. In seconds, Darkwing had clicked together a large gun that could fire a grappling hook, and he began to take Donald upwards.

Donald adjusted his hat, trying to get a better look at the looming building. "So we're just going to spring a surprise meeting on this group?"

"That's the plan." Darkwing closed one eye and stuck out his tongue, trying to go for accuracy. "That way, we catch them off guard, and they have no time to come up with any lies. The DeSpell group has always been knees deep in the black market business, but every time proof comes up, their legal offices make it vanish faster than a magician with a rabbit. But this time, we'll stop them before they can say abracadabra!" Satisfied with his aim, Darkwing pulled the trigger, and the hook sailed up into the sky, until it grabbed a hold of a gargoyle. Both of them stared at the unique choice of outer decoration.

Donald voiced his opinion warily. "By the way… are most legal offices supposed to look this creepy?"

"It's all about intimidation." Darkwing quickly answered, trying to prove he wasn't just as creeped out. He tugged on the line, and found it secure. "Okay, grab on!" he offered his arm, and Donald held on. Another click of the gun, and both men sailed up in the sky right after the rope. When they reached the gargoyle, Darkwing wasted no time and kicked in the nearest glass window, shoving both of their bodies inside. When Donald dizzily managed to get to his feet, he found that they were in the middle of a long hallway. At the very end were a pair of elaborately decorated black doors, with a faint light coming from within that room.

Donald again couldn't help but point out the oddity. "They're having a meeting this late?"

"If you focus on all the weird stuff we find, we'll be here all night." Darkwing brushed the glass off of his outfit, and adjusted his gun. "Now, do you remember what I told you about Doctor Thatch?" When Donald nodded, Darkwing faced forward, walking as he explained. "I've done some digging, and it turns out that Magica DeSpell and Thatch were biologically related. She's his niece, with a bunch of 'great great great's tossed in."

Donald followed and tried to keep up with the theory. "So you think she or someone working for her hired the Mousketeers to get his notebook?"

"It's an impossible coincide to ignore." Darkwing stopped at the large doors, and from his gun's handle, popped out three small balls that easily fit into his palm. "It's time to bombard them with the element of surprise!"

This time the fact Donald was pointing out was not about the strange building, though the paintings on the walls that had eyes almost following him were giving him a bad case of heebie jeebies. "First you tell me we're all about privacy, and now our element is surprise? Make up your mind!"

"Stop ruining my entrance!" Darkwing hissed, but had the sense not to start up another argument. In rapid succession, he threw the balls under the doors, and kicked the doors open. The balls instantly began to smoke purple fumes, and Darkwing raised his arms to make his cape flow. "I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the steampunk fanfiction that contains scientific errors! I am… Darkwiiing Duck!"

Donald jumped into the smoke, trying to recreate the same pose. "And I am… PK, the Avengerrr!" he'd come up with a better introduction the next time, he was sure of it.

When the smoke settled, they saw that Donald was right, and that this was a meeting, for this was clearly a conference room. A long wooden table was surrounded by startled, and rather hideous, board members, with the head of the table sitting in a chair whose back was to the heroes. A large green duck was fast to stand, his hands slamming down on the table. "This is a meeting of the heads of DeSpell Firm, and it is members only… and I don't believe you were invited!"

"Darkwing Duck needs no invitation!" The masked mallard proclaimed. "I am here to personally put an end to your…" he trailed off when Donald tapped his shoulder in annoyance. "… _We_ are here to personally put an end to your fiendish ways! The Justice Ducks know all about Doctor Thatch, the notebook, and the Mouseketeers, so if you want to avoid the swift hand of justice, you had better fill in the blanks!" Though Donald found most of the speech corny, he had to admit that Darkwing did have confidence, and didn't show a single trace of fear. He was almost respectable.

The same green duck, monstrous in his ugliness, snarled with spit. "If you want to avoid us calling the N.A.V.Y. and throwing your masks in jail for breaking and entering, you had better leave!"

"I'd like to see you try to reach the radio!" Darkwing held up his gun, and Donald's fists were clenched in eagerness. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, his first fight! He was going to wrestle with real bad guys! This would impress Daisy for sure, once he was allowed to tell her about it.

The head of the table then stuck out a slender white arm, with elongated black and yellow nails. "Now now…" The voice was clearly a woman, a young one around his age if Donald had to guess. "Our meeting was almost over anyway, and my dear aunt told me to be expecting the Justice Ducks."

"Nobody expects the Justice Ducks!" Darkwing aimed his gun at her chair instead. "Just who are you?"

The woman slowly turned her chair around, and stood up to attention. She was very a tall duck, almost twice the size of Donald. There were traces of Magica's genes in her, with the same dark eyes and flowing raven hair, though hers reached far past her shoulders and contained streaks of white. Her business dress was blood red, and hid her feet, almost giving the illusion she could have been floating. She was very lovely in a haunting sort of way, though Donald always thought Daisy was the prettiest of all women. The woman began to walk around the table, quietly pushing down the green duck's shoulder so he would sit. "I am Morgana McCawber, head of legal affairs for my aunt, Magica DeSpell." She reached the heroes, and offered her hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you both."

Donald expected Darkwing to retort with another cheesy line and start in hard with interrogation. Imagine his surprise when Darkwing looked unable to speak, flimsily taking Morgana's hand and shaking it, sweating already. His eyes were completely transfixed on her, and much to Donald's horror, he recognized that look. Donald had made that same look the very first time he had laid eyes on Daisy back in his youth! Hoping to snap Darkwing out of his stupor, he jabbed his friend hard in the ribs with his elbow. "W-well, it won't be so nice!" Donald tried to take over. "Darkwing is right! We know that Magica and Doctor Thatch were related! So who among you paid the Mouseketeers to steal his notebook?"

Morgana took her hand back, looking sad. "Oh, yes, that whole sad state of affairs… I do hate to bring up bad memories, but the truth is that Doctor Thatch was cut off from our family."

"You poor thing." Darkwing's hand was still frozen in place where it had been shaking hers, and didn't appear to notice Donald's incredulous look. In fact, he didn't appear to be noticing anything that wasn't Morgana.

Morgana smiled faintly at Darkwing's aide. "You see, Thatch was a madman, and was putting the rest of our family in danger with his expeditions and research. We had to cut him off, for our own good. We wanted nothing to do with him. So I can't imagine why anyone in our group would want the notebook of a man we shoved away."

"Makes perfect sense." Darkwing replied, and would have continued happily gazing upon this goddess of beauty, had not Donald yanked down his fedora to cover his eyes. "Hey!"

"It's all talk!"Donald accused with a jabbing finger towards Morgana. "Sure, his writing looks like chicken scratch, but what he wrote said he cared about the people he worked with! Darkwing was right again, he said you'd come up with lies!"

"I said no such thing." Darkwing lifted his hat up. "How could I possibly accuse them of lying?" He smiled at Morgana, who returned his gaze with a flutter of eyelashes. "In fact, rookie, why don't you let me handle this one?" He grabbed Donald by the shoulders and started to shove him back into the hallway. "I'm sure Miss McCawber and I can settle this like civilized people."

Morgana smiled, a heavenly smile in Darkwing's eyes, while to Donald it looked more like how a snake looks at its dinner. "Morgana, if you'd prefer."

Donald tried to object, but he was already thrown out of the room, with the doors slamming behind him, catching his cape. He tried to yank his cape back, but only wound up tearing it. "Why… why you doggone little…" He ranted and raved in the hallway, screaming and hollering, letting his temper vent until his throat was raw. For all of his tantrums, he was not let back in, and had to wait a half hour before a dreamy-looking Darkwing stumbled his way out. Suffice to say, when the two finally left and returned to Launchpad's carriage, the driver had to endure them arguing all over again.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Minnie, Daisy, Clarabelle and Millie got their assignments early, and the foursome was all given the same duty. They each had their own sword, their own pistol, and Minnie had been allowed to bring her steam-powered skates. They boarded a small N.A.V.Y. owned carriage to get to the shore of Ipswich. Minnie and Millie's looks were uneasy each time they faced each other, but Minnie was a mouse of her word. Once they were boarded and the carriage took off, the girls felt comfortable to talk about their duty for the day.<p>

"Boat christenings are so dull." Daisy sighed, resting her head in her hands. "I hope we get to at least drink some of the wine this guy's so famous for."

"But we're not allowed to drink on duty, Daisy." Millie said gently, trying not to look at Minnie every so often. "We're only supposed to guard Lord Oswald and his boat."

Daisy pouted, and flipped her hair. "All right, we know what Captain Amelia told us… that this Oswald guy is the heir to a famous winery, and all of his past purchases were robbed by pirates. Now, how about the unofficial word about him?" She looked to Clarabelle, eager to hear the gossip queen's spill.

Clarabelle smirked, just as eager to talk. "This guy has major daddy issues. His older brothers have never gotten robbed, so he's trying to prove he's as good as they are. He's also kind of a snob, and wanted the A.R.M.Y. to guard over him, but his father made him hire us." She looked to the window as buildings passed them by. "He's one of those guys who think women can't fight as well as men."

Minnie knew that type all too well, for those were the men that Mortimer hung out with. If she was prodded enough, she'd admit that Mortimer was in fact one of them as well. She wanted to believe that given enough time Mortimer could appreciate her strength and worth, but the attack on his engagement party only strengthened his resolve to get her out of the fighting life. He had managed to pin some blame on her, but thinking about the ranting and raving he'd done would only darken her mood. It was already difficult to be pleasant this day, with Millicent's secret on her shoulders. Shaking her head in an effort to clear it, she joined in the conversation, with the foursome agreeing about the strengths of the N.A.V.Y.

It was almost noon when the carriage arrived at the dock, and the crowd of upper class people parted when the carriage doors opened. On the docks a small stage had been set up, and Clarabelle pointed to the man behind the podium. "There's our man, Lord Oswald."

He was shorter than Minnie thought he'd be, probably around Mickey's height. He was a black furred rabbit, with ears as long as his entire body. He sported more frills and frocks than Minnie saw on most women, and she had to wonder just how he was balancing that top hat with those large ears. He was impatiently tapping a golden cane up and down on the stage, even though he was young enough to walk fine. No doubt it was just something to show off his wealth, as the rest of his attire was. He grimaced when the girls approached, walking out from behind the podium to meet them. "It's about time you ladies got here. I've had to wait until you showed up to start the ceremony."

As the oldest, Clarabelle took charge, saluting, and the girls did the same. "Our apologies, Lord Oswald. We'll be your guards for today… I am Private Clarabelle Cow, this is Private Millicent Manchester, Private Daisy Duck, and Private Minerva Mouse."

Oswald waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah yeah, let's save the introductions for…" he paused as something clicked in his mind, and he looked at Minnie. "Minerva Mouse? Isn't that the name of that rookie who - "

"My goodness that's a beautiful boat!" Minnie swiftly interrupted, flailing an arm at the large boat and speaking as rapidly as she could in an effort to stop Oswald's train of thought. The other girls looked to attention as well, trying to put the pressure off of her friend.

Fortunately, Oswald was the type to take every opportunity to gloat, so he too faced the massive boat that was in dock. It was more for show than for real travel, since it was burdened with so many statues and decorations across its white hull. Oswald tipped his hat to the ship. "That's my pride and joy, The B.L.O.T.!"

All four female heads stared at him, with Daisy offering the obvious question. "The Blot?"

Oswald didn't look at her, his focus on his pride and joy. "The B.L.O.T. The Beautiful Landmark Of Time!" He smiled, expecting applause. When he didn't get any, his expression darkened, and he grumbled as he went back to his podium. "Hey, if you ladies can go around with a stupid acronym…" The girls exchanged rolls of eyes before each one took a corner of the stage, keeping their eyes and ears open for anything strange. Oswald tapped the microphone on the podium, and its noise generated through speakers set up throughout the crowd. The upper class snobs all turned to face him, and Oswald managed to smile once again. "Ladies and gentleman! Thank you so much for coming… as all of you know, I am Lord Oswald, and I have invited you here to the grand christening of The B.L.O.T.!"

The clapping was polite at the most, and Minnie recognized a few faces in the crowd from Mortimer's engagement party. She shifted uncomfortably in place, remembering how easily Mickey's crewmates had blended in with Mortimer's guests. Could the same thing happen here? She scanned the faces over and over, but they all seemed like innocent, albeit bored, people. Biting her lower lip, she looked at the boat, as Oswald continued his speech.

"For the right price, you and your family can take a pleasure cruise on what's sure to be the most enjoyable boat the seven seas have ever seen." Oswald held up his cane, using it to make wide gestures. "I have spared no expense in making sure every need is met while you're on board. This includes the finest wine my father's winery has ever made."

From there on Oswald went onto describing the process of making the wine, and Minnie drowned out his words in order to survey the area better. Everything was calm and peaceful, there weren't even any chattering seagulls taking up the air. The water also contained peace, softly moving around the boat. Yet the more she looked at the ocean water, the more she thought something was amiss. There seemed to be some small shadows in the water, but perhaps they were just large fish.

"… And so ends the age of my father, as we enter a new era. An era of class, of dignity, of sophisticated pleasure…"

The 'fish' were lining up side by side, and small bubbles began to brew in their spots. Only then did Minnie make a guess to what those fish really were, the conclusion made her gasp in surprise.

"… And so, I think I can finally prove…" Oswald's eyes slowly drifted to where the gasp came from. "That I am more than just a son – _of a gun_!"

Everyone's heads whipped around in time to see several grappling hooks burst from the water, shooting up and tossing themselves around the railings of the upper deck. Shortly after, several soaked pirates began climbing up from the water. The crowd screamed in horror, beginning to disperse in panic. Minnie jumped off the podium, and began to run toward the ship. "It has to be the Mouseketeers! They had the ship underwater, hidden this whole time!"

"Minnie, come back!" Clarabelle tried to make a grab for her friend, but the mouse had already sped off. Groaning, she waved to Daisy and Millicent. "Stay here and watch over Lord Oswald!"

Oswald was having none of this, and instead ran the same direction as Minnie, waving his cane about. "My ship! Not my ship!"

"Lord Oswald!" The remaining trio of girls cried after him, and chased after him. As for Minnie, she clicked her heels together, hoping to use the power of her mechanical skates to speed up. While speed was boosted, she clicked too hard, and was suddenly thrust right up into the sky. She shrieked as she spun higher and higher up, and after some unladylike flips and turns, managed to gain control of her directions. She aimed herself down towards the boat, and before she could focus her vision, landed on something black and fuzzy with a loud SPLAT!

It took her a few seconds to get rid of her dizziness, and when her eyes refocused, she was now surrounded by many confused pirates, having stopped their pillaging to marvel at the drop-in. Even though she was surrounded twenty to one, she still yanked out her sword, dangerously poking the air with it. "You're all under arrest! … And what are you staring at?"

One of them, heavily cloaked and with long cat nails, pointed directly under Minnie. She looked down, and saw that her landing wasn't the ship, but in fact was the head of a very fat, half mechanical cat. Her mind recalled the wanted posters – she had landed on One-Eyed Pete, and made him fall flat on his face, using his head as a cushiony landing. "Oops!" She hopped off of him, feeling a tad guilty about her accidental landing. "Sorry, didn't see you there."

Pete tried to lift his head, his mechanical green eye cracked and his real eye dizzily swimming around. Before he could register just who or what used his head as a landing pad, the voice of his captain rang out in the crowd. "Minnie!" Bursting through the crowd of men, Mickey headed straight towards the startled private, and he clasped one of her hands tightly in both of his, shaking it with enthusiasm. "I didn't know ye were gunna guard here! Whatta nice surprise! Now, what's all this about rejectin' me present?"

Minnie's jaw opened in incredulity, but the other pirates seemed to accept this as normal, and resumed their pillaging, save for Pete who was still trying to collect himself. Once she got over her shock, she pointed her sword at Mickey, teeth almost grinding as she spoke. "Yes, I rejected your present… and I'm rejecting your proposal too! And do you know why?"

Mickey let go of her hand, and tapped his chin. "Huh… oooh, I know why!" Just as soon as he had arrived, he was gone, running off. Minnie moved to run after him, when she heard splashes of water near the railings. Weaving around the rush of pirates all around her, she spotted her three girlfriends duking it out with other pirates, and Lord Oswald throwing some of the men overboard.

Catching up to the small group, she skidded to a halt by Oswald's side. "You shouldn't be here, it's too dangerous!"

"I'm not letting them touch my ship!"Oswald easily turned on her, now in her face and making threatening grabbing motions. "If you girls had done your job properly, they wouldn't be here! You are the screw up girl from the newspapers, aren't you?"

Minnie leaned back, her own anger building up in return. "How were we supposed to know they'd come from below? Our job is handle this, your job is to…" Maybe she should have paid better attention to his speech, because for the life of her she couldn't name what exactly he did for a living. "… Th-the point is, you should wait for us back on deck! We are professionals, and no matter what any newspaper says, I am not a screw-up!"

"!"

How Mickey suddenly appeared back in her line of vision so fast, she had no idea. He stood out completely from all of his crewmates because of how happily he was running towards her, a look of childish glee on his face. Oblivious to the stance Minnie and Oswald were in, he stopped in front of the duo, and held out a small golden ring in his fingers. "Nabbed it offa one of the society girls on the port." He said proudly, and then got down on one knee. "Now I can do it proper!" He cleared his throat, and held out the ring. "Will ye marry - "

"No!" Minnie slapped his hand, causing the ring to bounce onto the floor. She aimed her sword at him, making it move with each angered burst. "I rejected your proposal because I don't want to marry you, you filthy sea rat! I'm engaged to Mortimer!"

Mickey went to his feet, a little confused to his rejection. "Ye don't wanna get married?"

"Exactly!" She huffed, hands on her hips. "You ruined my career! You ruined my life! Why in the world would I want to marry you?"

Mickey picked up the dropped ring, casually sliding it onto his finger. "Because we're in luv, turtledove. It's what people in luv do." The way he spoke of it was as natural as someone explaining two plus two made four, that it was an honest and obvious fact. He thought it was, so while he found Minnie's blushing cheeks endearing, he didn't understand why she was so embarrassed.

"In… In…" Minnie sputtered, her swordbearing arm beginning to shake. He wasn't serious! Clarabelle had to be right, this was some kind of twisted mind game! Furthermore, why was it so easy for him to say that dread l-word when she couldn't even think it? Not that she felt it, mind you, because she didn't it. It just didn't seem fair. "I'm not in…." Even now she couldn't bring herself to say it. "…I'm not… No! Absolutely not! And neither are you!"

She didn't believe he was in love with her? To Mickey this was adorably modest. Perhaps that's why she was rejecting his proposals, instead of, say, hating his guts and wanting to arrest him. "Sure I am. Kissed ye, didn't I? First one of yers, if I'm rememberin' right…"

"That didn't count!" Minnie backed up, almost hitting the railing. "Kisses don't count when one person doesn't know its coming!"

Mickey cocked his head to a side. "Really?"

"Absolutely!" Minnie nodded affirmatively. "So that absolutely didn't count as my first - "

His speed was amazing, she would note at a later time. He had been a blur of black, brown and red when he jumped forward, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pressed his mouth on top of hers. It was a unique sight, a pirate kissing a private among the fierce battles and thievery aboard the ship. Minnie easily forgot the rest of the ship even existed as she was turned into a statue, unable to move or think in his hold. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. How had he managed to steal her first and second kiss?

Mickey would have been more than happy proving just how serious he was about his proposal, had not a sword suddenly been stuck into his hat. It was not Minnie's blade that pierced his pirate wear, however, and when he pulled back, he saw that Oswald now at his side, hissing at him in fury. The rabbit had been watching the scene unfold, stunned by the absurdity, until he realized just who this insane man was. His cane had contained a hidden sword, and he yanked the weapon back, upset that he had missed. "Youuu…" He snarled, trembling in his fury. "It really is you, Captain Mickey! Revenge will finally be mine!"

Minnie could not be reached for comment, still reeling from the second smooch.

**End Of Chapter Seven.**


	8. Alone Versus Lonely

As always, big thanks to Lies for editing! All hail her empress of editing!

* * *

><p>Minnie had never given too much thought to what her first kiss would be like. She had focused her life more on her career and her family instead of doting on romantic silly ideals like that. Once she got engaged to Mortimer, she assumed he would be her first, and though the thought of kissing that ugly mouth made her stomach heave, she thought she could live with it. What were kisses, anyway? It was just pressing one body part to another, and that was all. It was just like holding hands.<p>

Her first stolen kiss was nothing like holding hands, and neither was her second. She never thought kisses were supposed to contain such power and strength, as if they were ready to devour her. She thought they'd be wetter, but she found that they focused more on warmth, a direct ray of sunshine right on her mouth. It was a pleasant and soft feeling, and it sucked all the energy and thought out of her. She would have been happy to continue reeling on such metaphors, if a sword wasn't continuously being thrust at her kisser.

She shook her head to snap out of her stupor, and in that same moment Mickey held her close with one arm, using his other arm to pull out a sword. He began meeting Oswald's blows, up, down, side to side, all the while trying to keep Minnie safe. "Hey hey, ye could hurt me girl!"

Oswald wouldn't relent, and only pressed harder, going forward as he fought. "Not if you stayed still! I've waited forever for my revenge, and you're going to take it!"

"Revenge for what?" Mickey felt no need to move from his spot, and anyone watching the battle could see that the dominant one in this battle was Mickey. "This ship?"

"Revenge for everything!" The rabbit hissed, beginning to sweat as he exhausted himself in the battle of blades. "You've gone after every single one of my business endeavors! You ruined me, and made me the laughingstock of my family! The library, the restaurant, the pet shop!"

Mickey rolled his eyes a bit as he tried to place memories with faces, with Minnie putting a palm over her eyes, appalled by his stupidity. "Huh… those were yers? Cause I ought to thank ye, got me dog Pluto from that last haul!" He smiled in appreciation, and might have shook Oswald's hand, were both of his own not preoccupied.

Oswald stopped in place, though his swordbearing hand began to shake. "You… you're not honestly saying… you don't remember me?" For Oswald, the memories were clear as day, though perhaps biased. He remembered Mickey and his gang bursting into each of his business, creating havoc, and then evilly making off with Oswald's prized possessions. The mouse had utterly devastated each of these businesses, and each time Oswald had been there personally as the walls fell down around him. Surely someone who had robbed a man so many times would be remembered! He was Mickey's rival and his prime target!

Mickey shrugged. "I rob alotta people, they all kinda blend together. What was yer name again?" He looked to Minnie for assistance. "Orly? Obama?"

"Oswald." Minnie answered bitterly, the magic of the kiss gone and replaced with annoyance at being stuck in this situation.

Oswald's left eyelid began to twitch, and not too long after his entire body was shaking with fury. "Y-You…" He wasn't even a blip on Mickey's radar? "Y-Youuu…" The fact that he had been so easily forgotten made him angrier than the fact his ship was still being robbed all around him. "YOUUUUUUUU!" He thrust his sword forward, but again, Mickey easily managed to deflect the blow, but this time it caused the stolen ring Mickey had nabbed to fly off and then roll on the ground. Mickey's head moved to follow the accessory, and Minnie used the chance to roughly jab her elbow into his ribs, and then duck under the swords, also going after the ring.

"Hey!" Mickey rubbed his sore chest, and began to run after her, Oswald easily forgotten all over again. "Where ye goin'?"

"I'm returning this ring to its rightful owner!" Minnie bent over to scoop it up, but Mickey poked his sword out ahead of her, using its tip to pick up the ring and slide it down his blade. Crying out in frustration, Minnie's own sword was out again, and now the duel was only between the mice. "You can't have honestly thought I was going to marry you!"

"Aye." Mickey had been treating the fight with Oswald as natural, just moving his arm without too much thought. This with Minnie was more toying and playful, since he knew he didn't need to use strength on her. "Honestly thought it and honestly meant it. We had somethin' special goin' on that month on The Hawkins!"

Minnie did her best to ignore her pink cheeks. "That month was nothing but a lie! W-whatever you're feeling… or lying about feeling…" Because surely he didn't, he couldn't have, it was madness to think he could possibly, actually, really, have feelings of that accursed l-word…

"I'm a pirate, not a liar!" This made his strikes fiercer, angered by the notion that she thought he was playing more games than just this fight. "What's it gunna take ta make ye see I'm serious?" He jumped forward, grabbing her free hand, and leaned in dangerously, their swords still crossed. Minnie leaned backwards, nearly falling over, her thoughts suddenly delighted- no, frightened, frightened only! – at the prospect that he might try kissing her again. "I love - "

"No you don't!" Minnie shrieked in a wincingly high pitch, trying to shove him back. "I-I-It's headgames, just like Clarabelle said!"

Mickey continued to pressed forward, holding her hand tightly and their swords struggling back and forth against one another. "This aint no game! I've never felt this way 'bout anyone ever before! I love everythin' about ye! I love the way ye stand up fer yerself, how loyal ye are ta yer family, how good yer legs look in skirts…"

"No no no no no!" Minnie shook her head back and forth with each denial, and could even feel the tips of her ears getting red. He was lying! He had to be lying! The world would be an insane place if any of this was true! Just because she wanted it to be true didn't make it true. He had lied to her before, he had tricked her, and so he could not be trusted.

Oswald, during this romantic drama, had been stomping around and ranting that he had been ignored again, but his anger diminished at seeing the strange spectacle before him. To an outside and unknowing viewer, the mice having a close up sword fight while arguing about true love was something that had to be seen in order to be believed. He couldn't tell if they were really fighting or just delaying time for passionately making out. During this, Daisy had managed to defeat all of the enemies in her path, and raced towards Oswald, grabbing his arm. "There you are! Lord Oswald, we have to get you back on land!"

Oswald used his sword to point at the odd couple. "What in the world is going on with those two?"

Daisy looked at the mysterious mice, eyebrows raised. "Oh. Them. Hm." Mission put aside for the moment, she let go of Oswald to try and articulate the situation best. "I suppose… well, to make a long story short, he's got the hots for her, but she won't have any of it."

A very stupid lightbulb clicked in Oswald's mind, and he smiled more deviously than any pirate on his ship. "So… she's his woman!"

Daisy made a vague waving gesture with her hand. "I wouldn't say that, but…" Before she could add on, she spotted another pillaging pirate in the corner of her eye. "Oh come on, how many of these guys are on this stupid ship? I'll be right back!"

Oswald didn't even notice her running off to fight Sweetums, and instead headed towards the mice, which had no idea they were being watched. Mickey had been continuing to list of all the reasons he loved Minnie, from the sweet to downright perverted, while Minnie had continued to screech that one word, 'no', over and over again. Mickey's patience was at an end, and he let go of her hand only to press on her back, and bring their bodies close enough so that chests touching was inescapable. Minnie's breath was caught, and Mickey's look of exasperation with a hint of sadness was enough to make her go quiet. "I'll go away." He murmured, and the seriousness of his voice made Minnie lose even more air. "I'll leave ye, and I'll never bother ye again… but only if ye look me in the eyes, right here and now, and tell me that ye don't love me."

Minnie was certain that at any other time and place, she could have easily said so. Yet in this moment her throat was dry, and words were an eternity away. Why was this so difficult? Of course she didn't… _l-word_ him. But what if she did say it? What guarantee did she have that he'd keep his word? This whole issue was about trust, and she had none of it in him. That's why she was unable to say it, and she refused to believe any other words for her own hesitation. These seconds were excruciatingly slow, and Mickey's impatience was going in a different direction. He began to lean in, she could feel his breath - _oh no, please no, not for my third time, no, please, no, please, please… please…_

"I'll save you, Minerva!" No sooner did she hear Oswald's voice than was she yanked out of Mickey's embrace and loss of liplock, and now found herself being dragged by the rabbit. "Not to worry, my dear, you're safe now!"

Minnie's head swam, greatly disappointed – no, relieved! This was relief!- as she tried to understand what just happened. "L-Lord Oswald? What are you doing!"

Oswald came to a stop, his arm grabbing her shoulders tightly. "I'm saving you from that disgusting pirate, what did it look like I was doing?"

Minnie slapped her cheek in an effort to get rid of her reddening from before the rescue. "Oh… Oh, well, I, I appreciate it, but you really must go back on shore, I can handle it from here."

"HEY!" Mickey roared, and stormed right up to the lord, fists clenching. "Whatcha think yer doin' with me turtledove?"

Oswald snorted, and flimsily waved his sword about. "How does it feel to have something of yours stolen for once?" Minnie was about to point out she wasn't Mickey's by any means, but she was pushed closer into his chest. "Why would she have some mangy pirate, when she can be the wife of a prominent and wealthy man like me?"

"No way!" Mickey grabbed Minnie's swordbearing arm, and began to tug her back. "She aint marryin' ye, she's marryin' me!"

Minnie couldn't get a word in as Oswald tugged right back, keeping a firm grip on her other arm. "I'll give her everything she could ever want, and legally! And I'll give her dresses so that no one can ever look at those legs again, except for me!"

"Those legs are mine! All of her is mine! She's my Minnie! Leggo, leggo, leggo!"

"You let go! She's my Minnie now!"

Minnie wondered why Clarabelle often fantasized about men fighting over her, because the reality was in no way as amusing as the cow made it out to be. She thought her arms were going to be ripped off, but before she could come up with ways to beat her attackers silly with her ripped off appendages, the floor beneath them began to shake. The trio looked down as the shaking continued, and the other pirates and women were stopping in their tracks as well. Judging by the looks on the thieves, this wasn't part of the plan. The shaking became worse and worse, enough to knock Pete right back down just as he had gotten up. Some of the fighters began to mentally note that the air under them was getting unusually hot with unusual speed.

The middle of the lower deck shook the hardest, and then, right beneath a statue of Oswald, a hot blast of fire shot out into the sky, obliterating the statue completely. Though the fire was tall and powerful, it only lasted for five seconds. When it abruptly died, black smoke exhaled from the spot, and the ship continued to shake. Two charred hands clung to the freshly made hole, and a man climbed out from the wreckage. It was Goofy, with one of his ears still on fire, and he coughed up smoke as he dizzily walked around. "A-hyuck… did ye guys know that inflammable actually means flammable?"

Mickey's eyes widened as he look at the state of his first mate. "…Goofy… what did ye do…?"

The dog scratched the back of his head, trying to keep his balance while the ship still shook. "Well I was lookin' fer the wine, and did ye know this guy's gotta buncha diff'rent cellars down there? So I went down there ta see what else he got, and he's gotta whole bunch fer just rum, but it was real dark down there, I even broke a few bottles stumblin' 'round, and I thought about lightin' a match ta see better, and this sign said inflammable, and - "

"_Abandon ship_!" Mickey yelled at the top of his lungs, and the tug of war was forgotten as the trio raced to the railings, jumping off to get into the water. Everyone else followed suit as more fire towers began exploding through the ship. Goofy had failed to realize that the more alcohol a drink has, the more flammable it is, and while rum is delicious, it is also deadly, for it is 80% alcohol. The pirates were forced to abandon their hauls, swimming underwater to get back to their special ship. The foursome of girls managed to drag Oswald on land, where he promptly burst into tears over his loss. When he tried to use Minnie's shoulder to cry on, she slapped him across the face, and the girls decided to wait until the explosions were over to begin asking why.

Mickey's ship began to move underwater as soon as all members of the crew were accounted for, and everyone was below deck to breathe. The captain was in a foul mood, pacing in a circle in his personal quarters. Burnt Goofy and dizzy Pete watched him, the only ones aside from Pluto, who was snoring on the bed, allowed in these chambers. Goofy guilty tried to touch his friend's shoulder. "Aw, I'm sorry, cap'n, I didn't mean ta - "

"Who does that guy think he is?" Mickey snarled, not hearing the apologies. "Comin' in and tryin' ta take me Minnie? I'll show 'im! I'll prove how much Minnie and I love each other!"

Pete adjusted his broken glass eye, saying his thoughts out loud. "So that was the girl ye've been goin' after?" When Mickey continued ranting instead of answering, Pete looked to Goofy for an answer, and the dog nodded. "Huh… kinda too much fer the cap'n, if ye ask me." But not too much for Pete! The girl had been very pretty, and very spunky, and if the captain wanted her, she had to be something special. Perhaps when Pete finally became captain of this ridiculous crew, he could make her his wench! Goofy would have worried over the malicious look on Pete's face, had he not finally realized his ear was still on fire, and he knocked over Mickey in a desperate flail to take it out.

None of them noticed the cloaked cat carefully listening at the door. The new cremate carefully slid away, fumbling with an old letter, and reread it again. Was that really the girl?

* * *

><p>On the same day as what the newspapers would call 'Oswald's Latest Oops', Donald skipped his breakfast and walked out into the streets, unable to stop frowning. He was still upset over Darkwing's sudden lackadaisical attitude towards the DeSpells, and even Launchpad hadn't been able to convince his hero that Morgana was quite clearly one of the bad guys. Darkwing would have none of it, still swooning over the dark haired beauty, and insisted she was merely being used as a pawn. Come to think of it, Donald had only met Darkwing and Launchpad, and no one else in the organization. Darkwing had said that the others were busy with other missions, but Donald was beginning to suspect the Justice Ducks consisted of only this threesome. It was a twosome if you counted Launchpad's lack of brains and just the one if you counted Darkwing's sudden infatuation with Morgana.<p>

Donald felt like he was on his own, but that didn't mean he was going to give up. He had been fired from every single job he ever applied for, and the A.R.M.Y. rejected him at every opportunity. He needed something to prove himself worthwhile, and right now the Justice Ducks were the only thing he had. It wasn't fair that Daisy went to fight pirates all the time while he could do nothing to help make the world a safer place for her. He'd show Daisy, and he'd show everyone, that he had what it took to help the world. If he had to do it all by himself, then so be it. He knew exactly where to start.

Ludwig Von Drake was once a member of the A.R.M.Y, helping create new inventions and was of great aid to the scientific department. The only problem was that he was completely bananas, and often destroyed more things than he came up with. He had been forced to retire several years ago, and now spent his time destroying his own home with his genius. He was also Donald's uncle, and Donald had many singed memories from his childhood about Ludwig's eagerness to share his brilliance. Donald had called ahead to let his uncle know he was coming, and yet the boy still felt unprepared as he approached the old creaky house. His fear only increased when he rang the doorbell, and instead of hearing a normal ring, he heard a choir of dogs barking Beethoven's fifth symphony.

It was too late to turn tail and run for the door happily slammed open, revealing the elder duck. "Nephew! It's about time you got here!" His graying feathers stuck out on the sides of his head, and the spectacles on his beak looked broken in many places. His green lab suit was torn and tattered, but there was no time to note the man's fashion as Donald was yanked inside. "Hoo boy, it's been such a long time since we last have been talking!" His thick accent was as prominent as ever, and he paraded Donald around until he shoved the boy down into a wooden chair. "When you called me up, I was so happy! Look how you have been growing! Last time, you were barely up to the knee! You remember the time when - "

"Uncle." Donald cut in, pressing fingers to his temples. "Did you look up what I asked you to?"

"Ooooh, yes!" Ludwig sped to one of his many desks, yanking out all of the drawers and slapping down yellowed pages. "Doctor Thaddeus Thatch, what a loony! Never knew a more eccentric fella… not that I knew him, but rumors have a hard time of dying!" He tried to organize the papers into a neat pile. "This was a man who loved the past, and refused to move forward. He was always looking into past civilizations and asking why we changed things when things were just spiffy back then. Not a fan of progress, this one. 'Course, this is what his wife's family said… they didn't like him one iota! Said he was doing experiments on them, and not the fun ones."

This got Donald's attention as it connected to what Morgana had said. He sat up straight, hoping to find a way to prove the witch-like woman wrong. "So he really did experiment on his family?"

"That's what they said." Ludwig glanced behind him, restacking the papers over and over. "Though there wasn't much proof to be had… Do you who know who makes history, Donald? The winners, the rich, and the rich winners!" He then began folding the papers into different origami shapes. "The wife's family, they had almost as much money as Scrooge! How is my brother-in-law anyway?"

"Fine, he's fine, but what about these experiments?" Donald tried to keep the eccentric uncle in place. "Did they really happen? Was Thatch really cast out of the family?"

"You betcha he was." Ludwig managed to make a crane, and tugged on it to make the wings flap. "His side of the family kept trying to clear his name, but the wife's family was the one who made the news and made him go down in flames. See, Thatch was trying to come up with alternative sources of energy, and believed one civilization had the answers he was looking for. But no one wanted to fund his expedition, so he had to pay for it out of his pockets. When his expedition never came back, his family couldn't afford to really search for him." He then tossed the crane to Donald, who caught it in his hands, nearly crumpling it up. "And that's the second thing you asked for!"

Donald unfolded the crane, smoothing it against his leg. On this paper was a list of names and addresses. "So, this is everyone who has been suspected of the black market deals in the DeSpell group? How did you get it?"

"I asked my A.R.M.Y. buddies to help me out." Ludwig tugged on his coat proudly. "Told them I was gunna come out of the retirement if they didn't do it. Such nice, agreeable boys!"

Donald nodded quietly as his eyes went over the list. Morgana was on there, but what stood out more important to Donald was a name he was very familiar with. "What the…" He smoothed it out again to make sure he was reading correct. "Donna? She's working for the DeSpells?"

Ludwig had begun folding the other animals into his own zoo when the questions were spoken. "Donna? Wasn't that your old sweetheart before you hitched with Daisy? Dumped you like a hot sack of potatoes?"

"She didn't dump me, it was mutual." Donald had just decided to break up with her the minute after Donna broke up with him and to him that meant it was mutual. "She wasn't that bad, though… maybe if I get in contact with her, I can get some information out of her." He folded the paper up and slid it into his jacket. "Thanks for all of this, Ludwig, I really appreciate it."

"Ja, ja, what is family for?" He shook Donald's hand when the younger one had stood up, though didn't let go of his hand. "And how are things going with your future wife? Gotta appreciate love while it's still young."

Donald kept trying to tug his hand free to no avail. "You were invited to the wedding, you should know how well it's going. I really need to get going…"

"Now hold all of your horses, I have some inventions that could really help with the wedding!" Ludwig began to drag Donald deeper into his house. "An automatic rice thrower! It still gets into some people's eyes, but with your help, we can make those somes into nones!" For the rest of the day, Donald's investigations came to a halt as he was too busy trying to escape the wrath of a disgruntled thrower of rice.

* * *

><p>That night, Doctor Delbert Doppler was resting comfortably in his home by the fireplace. He wasn't as comfortable as he usually was, though, for his dear wife was still not home. He understood her duties and did his best to hide how much he missed her. He cherished every talk they had on their radios. While Amelia had a video screen in her chambers aboard the Hawkins, the couple preferred simple talks over the radio, as a call back to when they had first started courting each other. Lately, Delbert had a feeling his wife was ill from what hints he could pick up during their conversations, but whenever he brought it up, Amelia was instant to strike the notion down.<p>

At this time Delbert put the questions aside and began reading her the mail that had come to their house. It was the usual matter of bills and family affairs, but the last letter contained strangeness that Delbert hadn't noticed until just this moment. "That's odd." He noted out loud, flipping the thin brown envelope back and forth. "This one doesn't have a return address… or even our address on it."

Amelia didn't like the sound of it so her reply was dismissive. "Toss it. It's probably just another threat from some pirate towards me."

"You know, dear, being negative so often is what gets you sick." Delbert gently began to tear open the envelope as Amelia stiffly repeated she was not sick. He hummed a little as he read it, adjusting his glasses. "It's for you… asks how you are, congratulates us on the wedding – Ha! Little late on that one!" He chuckled lightly since the wedding was over two years ago and whoever was congratulating them must have missed that memo. "Wishes you well… ooh, they even sent us a gift!" Out of the letter slid a small golden trinket, and Delbert caught it in his hand. It was circular and made to fit on someone's arm. "Looks like one of those bracelets for your upper arm…Funny, though, there's one of them… you'd think there'd be one for each arm."

Amelia paused as she heard the description. "… Is that all they sent? Who is this from?" There was something familiar about that accessory, and it came with a bad feeling. She was probably imagining things and remembering them wrong, but the feeling stayed in her gut, twisting and churning.

Delbert continued reading. "They said it's from… her mother? And she kept one for herself?" As confusion piled on, he decided to read the words out loud instead of summing them up. "'I have so few mementos to remember her by, and I thought it would only be fair to share. She's kept her side of the promise all this time, but now that she's died, so has the promise. Daddy dearest may no longer be around, but his pride and joy is good enough for me. Keep your guest room empty, because your…'" He stopped in surprise as his eyes darted over the new couple of words. "… 'Your big sister is coming home.'" He looked to the radio as if it was Amelia herself. "Big sister?" The letter wasn't even signed.

Amelia had gone quiet during the reading. No, that wasn't true, as Delbert listened closer – Amelia had started breathing heavily, deeply, in a struggle to stay calm. She sounded panicked, but what reason did she have to be so worried? Amelia was an only child so this letter was nonsense and poppycock. When Amelia finally spoke, it was trying to be stiff, but traces of quivering emotion could still be picked out. "Burn the letter, and get rid of the present."

Doppler put the letter down. "Amelia?"

"Do it, Delbert!" A hand slammed down on her end. "Don't tell anyone about this. This never happened."

"Amelia, what's going on?" Placing both the letter and the gift aside, he took the radio firmly in his hands. "Why is someone claiming to be your sister?"

"This is not up for conversation, Delbert." Amelia stood up in her chambers, feeling queasy from her own medical problems and from her own panic. "Just get rid of those things. This… this is just some…"

Delbert was typically a calm and rational man, but when it came to those he loved with all of his heart, it was his easy for his temper to flare. "Amelia, don't you dare shut me out! I don't ask for a lot, but I deserve to know what this is all about! If you can't trust your own husband with this, who can you trust?"

Amelia was biting hard enough on her lower lip that she began to taste blood. It was not a matter of trust with her husband for he was the one person she trusted most. This was a matter of pride and shame, and she couldn't bear if he looked at her in a different way because of the secret of her sister. She leaned on her desk as her brain reeled. The promise with that woman was supposed to be a moment locked away in time, and to never be thought of again. Perhaps it was foolishness that made her think the daughter would do nothing in retaliation. Sweat was beginning to bead on her forehead.

Sighing hard, she closed her eyes. "… I'll tell you when I come home. I promise. I'll tell you everything, just get rid of those items."

Delbert wasn't satisfied with that response, because lately who knew when she would come home? Whenever he argued with Amelia no one won so he had no choice but to let the matter drop. "… Very well. But I'll be holding you to that. Whatever this is, Amelia, it can't be as bad as you're making it out to be." He reluctantly sat down. "Just come home so we can talk."

Amelia tugged out a small handkerchief from her pocket to dab at her forehead. "Yes, yes… I have to get going, Delbert. I'm… not feeling well, so I have to rest."

"A-_ha_! I knew you were ill!" She shut off her end before he could go into his annoying but endearing 'Go Delbert, Go Delbert' dance. He did as he was told, and tossed the letter into the fireplace. As for the accessory, he instead took it to his cabinet where he stocked his past research endeavors, and placed it on top of old leathered books. There was a chance that Amelia would try to avoid the unpleasant subject so he needed something to bring her back to it. His darling could be impossibly stubborn.

His darling was also busy her fingers flicking back and forth with the radio. What should she do first? If the mail didn't have any addresses on it that meant the post office didn't deliver it. Someone had personally dropped this off to her house. They must have done it while Delbert was out because he would have noted any strangers at the house. She could contact her neighbors and ask if they anyone but that could lead to questions she didn't want to answer. No matter what she did there was a risk of the sister secret being exposed.

Amelia put a hand on her stomach, bitter at the timing of this disaster. She hadn't even told Delbert about what was going on inside of her but now everything seemed inevitable. Burdened with all of these secrets, her body felt heavy enough to make her want to sit back down. She breathed deeply in order to try and settle herself. She dreaded going home and telling him but also dreaded what would happen to him now that this other woman found out where he lived. Every path Amelia turned towards led to darkness.

She loved Delbert deeply, and could only wish all of the girls that worked under her could find the same happiness. She also could only wish that none of them felt the shame that this secret was bound to bring her. She knew this wouldn't be her fault, and that this whole mess had never been her fault. This was a mistake of her father. If she wanted to end this problem before it got out of control, perhaps that's where she could start. She pulled out a quill and paper, and began to write down an announcement.

She would be taking leave in a few days to visit her father's untouched house. Surely her ragtag group could take care of themselves during her absence. The only thing left was to find the right woman to take her place while she was gone, and immediately a name came to her. She quickly scribbled down 'Jane Porter' before nausea overwhelmed her again, and her inner secret demanded to be paid attention to.

* * *

><p>Minnie, Clarabelle, Daisy and Millie were also up to conversation that night, as they had pushed themselves together in Daisy and Minnie's shared room at headquarters. They couldn't stop talking over everything that happened that day, each one sharing their own experiences. When Minnie's turn came about and she told them about Oswald's sudden 'infatuation', Clarabelle kicked over a chair in a sudden pout. "Unbelievable! Minnie gets three guys who want her, and I can't even get one? What's a girl got to do to get noticed?"<p>

"I didn't ask for them!" Minnie sat on her bunk bed, looking up at the others. Millie was sitting on the floor and folding up their uniforms, while Clarabelle was picking the chair back up to sit in it. They were all dressed in pajamas and nightgowns, with faint candlelight on the desk drawers. "Before we left, I made it very clear to Lord Oswald that I'm engaged to Mortimer." If there was a clearer way to get her point across than taking her engagement ring and shoving it into a man's face while screaming directly into his ear, then she didn't know of one. "I don't know why Mickey hasn't learned the same thing."

"Because pirates are stupid." Daisy answered on the top bunk. "And because boys are stupid. All men are stupid. It's the chromosomes, that stupid Y that makes them… stupid!"

Millie timidly lifted her head from her task. "Daisy… are you still upset about what Donald said?"

"Of course not." The anger in her reply was an astounding 'yes'. When the girls had returned to headquarters, Daisy had gotten a call from Donald that he had to cancel visiting her at work as he made an appointment to see someone. "He can see anyone he pleases… but does it have to be his ex-girlfriend?"

"So what?" Clarabelle lazily put her feet on Minnie's bed. "You can see all the guys you want, but if Donald catches lunch with just one girl, it's a crime?" The answer to that was a thrown pillow to the face.

Minnie knew she had to act fast before a pillow fight was started, and she quickly grabbed the pillow from Clarabelle, speaking rapidly. "Is it true that a first kiss doesn't count if you don't see it coming?"

Daisy hung her head over to bed to try and see Minnie better. She enjoyed helping her friend out more than arguing. "Don't worry, Minnie. A kiss doesn't count until both people want it. As far as anyone's concerned, you still haven't gotten your first kiss."

"I agree with Daisy, for once." Clarabelle nodded, while Millie was burying her face in the folded uniforms, too flustered in remembering her own first to be of any help to the conversation. Clarabelle and Daisy assumed just the idea of kissing was making Millie giggle dreamily into the fabric and so she was ignored. "Not only that, it's something you feel, deep down." She patted her chest for emphasis. "You'll know when it's your first real kiss. It'll feel fantastic."

"And how would you know?" Daisy smirked, grabbing another pillow for arsenal if necessary. "You've never been kissed! Unless you've been holding out details about Horace…"

"Don't you start that up again!"Clarabelle snapped, and Minnie gave up trying to interfere between the two of them. Minnie slid off of her bed and decided to help Millie fold the uniforms. When their eyes met, Millie was smiling from one floppy ear to the other but still didn't say a thing. Minnie knew just what and just who the poodle was thinking about it, and it made Minnie frown a little. It was so odd to know that a pirate was making her friend so happy. It just wasn't right.

Minnie retreated to her own thoughts. According to Daisy and Clarabelle's logic Minnie hadn't truly been kissed at all. So what did you call those assaults on her lips? It still made her blush to think of them. There was also the problem of the man behind the kisses. Since she hadn't been able to deny what he asked her to, that meant he was still going to come after her. In that case Minnie would just have to prepare herself and make it clear that she didn't… _l-word_ him. She groaned, taking the correct assumption that the first step towards solving this problem would be saying the actual darn word in her head.

Why didn't Mickey have that problem? Why could he say that troublesome word so easily? In fact, why could he say all of those compliments towards her so easily? He must have been an expert liar for he surely meant nothing of what he said. He didn't respect her for her confidence and the loyalty she had towards her family. He didn't like the way his legs looked in skirts. He didn't l-word her. He was just an excellent actor, able to pretend he was serious about it all. His looks were lies, his kisses were lies, and he didn't have a shred of proof behind any of his actions. Minnie's chest felt tight, and she would have given anything to stop this painful train of thought.

Her prayer was answered as the mutual radio Daisy and Minnie shared crackled to life. The voice that came through belonged to Gadget Hackwrench. "Minnie, are you in?"

The other girls went quiet as Minnie stood to attention. "Yes, I'm in, Gadget. What is it?"

"Your fiancé is requesting a line with you." Gadget sounded uneasily with the information she had to share. "He says he's pulled some strings and gotten some leave for you this weekend so you can attend some party of his."

Minnie groaned but got to her feet. "Doesn't he know my work is more important than some party? Can't he even wait for me to have proper leave?" Daisy climbed down from her bunk and joined the girls to temporarily leave the room so Minnie could talk to Mortimer in private.

Daisy was still very bitter about Donald's choice in friendship, Clarabelle was still very annoyed about the teases over Horace, Millie was still very flustered about the thought of Goofy's kisses, and even amidst a long talk with Mortimer, Minnie was still very confused about a lot of unsettling things.

**End of Chapter Eight.**


	9. Accident Versus Coincidence

As always, super huge thanks to her goddess Lies for her mad editing skills.

* * *

><p>Flying ships were almost always made for combat purposes. If someone owned a flying ship that wasn't a part of the A.R.M.Y. or the N.A.V.Y. it might as well have been painted with a giant target for they were the prime targets of pirate ships. Those in the military thought anyone who owned a flying ship who wasn't military personnel was a moron. Of course it would have been rude of Minnie to tell Mortimer such an opinion, so she kept quiet during the party. This was difficult because she was already frustrated attending this party in the first place. She could have understood that Mortimer wanted a second engagement party since the first one had been wrecked, but he honestly couldn't wait until she had proper leave? It was insulting that he thought he had complete control over her time.<p>

So inside of the small, thin ship, Minnie was forcefully smiling at everyone who came to say hello to her and her intended. The tight white dress she was in was making her sweat, though that was probably due to the fact she was wearing her uniform underneath it. There were many lavish riches and rich people on board yet Mortimer hadn't asked for any military troops to guard him. She had asked about this suspicious lack of security, but he merely said it wasn't anything to worry her pretty head over. Even now as the couple stood side by side, she watched him carefully, wondering what the real reasons were. She drew a breath. "Mortimer, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sweetness." He didn't even look at her as he was too busy waving at people who passed by. "What's on your mind?"

Minnie did her best to word it carefully. "I know you told me not to worry about it, but I really think you should have gotten at least someone from the A.R.M.Y. to - "

"If I tell you not to worry about it, don't worry about it." His grip on her hand squeezed painfully, and Minnie winced. "Besides, even if we did get attacked, the insurance of this ship would more than cover it. So just relax and enjoy yourself. Soon you'll never have to worry about pirates or soldiers or whatever. This is your life, Minerva!" He gestured to the hordes of wealthy people before them, making jokes about the common folk while wasting food that could have fed ten hungry families. Minnie's lips wrinkled at the thought of that being her life. She knew it was inevitable but she didn't have to like it.

Speaking of things she didn't like, a familiar voice touched her ears. "Private Minerva?" And when she turned to look at its owner, her eyes widened to see Lord Oswald walking right up to the happy couple. "What a happy coincidence to see you here! Here I thought I'd be stuck at another boring engagement party, but it turns out my darling Minnie is here!" He took her free hand and kissed it just in time for Mortimer to glance over to see what the noise was about.

Minnie quickly withdrew her hand, wiping it on her dress. "Lord Oswald, I thought I made myself very clear the last time we talked…"

Mortimer raised an eyebrow at the scene before him. "You two know each other? And what's with this 'darling Minnie' stuff?"

Minnie yanked her hand out of Mortimer's grasp, and pointed to each man as she addressed him. "Mortimer, this is Lord Oswald. Lord Oswald, this is Mortimer, my fiancé." She was surprised that every snob in the city didn't know each other but now could only hope they got along as most snobs did.

"Fiancé." Oswald repeated dryly, strumming his fingers on the top of his cane. "So nothing's permanent just yet." So much for Minnie's hope.

Mortimer leaned down to leer at the rabbit, fingers clenching together. "What's that supposed to mean, pipsqueak?"

"It means, big nose…" Oswald leaned up, trying to lean on the edge of his toes. "That she's still up for grabs, and can change her mind at any moment. She hasn't explored all the better options out there just yet."

"There are no better options out there!"Mortimer jabbed at his own chest, trying to show off his expensive clothing. "I'm the best there is! She's mine, so keep your grubby little hands off of her! Her folks paid me fair and square for her!"

"Whatever they paid, I can pay double!" Oswald slammed his cane down hard on the floor. "Triple too! She's obviously already taken with me anyway. I saved her life when my ship was robbed!"

"She wouldn't want to be hitched to someone who can't even keep a ship safe! Right, Minerva?" No one answered Mortimer, and the two turned their heads to see that Minnie had long since left their conversation. Fortunately she didn't need to be there physically in order for the two to keep arguing.

Instead, Minnie had gone outside to get some fresh air and quiet. Everyone was inside partying, so she had the deck to herself. She leaned on the silver railing, looking around in an effort to distract herself from her thoughts. The helm of the ship had a gigantic ruby attached to it, which was probably worth more than the entire ship. Looking at it annoyed her because it was such a useless thing to put on a ship. If Mortimer had money to burn, why not put it towards security? She rested her elbows on the railing, and put her head in her hands.

This was her future. A life full of useless purchases and a stupid man who cared more for appearances than saving his own behind. All of her time would be by his command, and she'd be lucky to even see a glimpse of her friends. Mortimer was already shoving this new life into her current life, and she was already missing what remains of her current life she had. No more honor, no more excitement, and no more chasing Mickey – that is, chasing pirates. She shook her head, and looked downward. They were sailing over Scrooge McDuck's zoo, which was still a work in progress. Specifically they were right over the jungle section, and Minnie mused that it might be larger than any real jungle.

Sighing again, she believed the animals down there had a far better life than she did. No arranged marriages for them, no pig headed men fighting over her hand, and no disgusting pirates stealing her kisses. Not that they counted as real kisses, mind you, because they didn't. She was absolutely sure of that, and was so convinced that she would tell herself that every so often to remind herself. Mickey did not _really_ kiss her. Just as she was not _really_ blushing over the thought of it. Just as her mouth was not _really _smiling as the thoughts paraded on.

* * *

><p>Since all of the partygoers were inside, save for the forlorn maiden, none of them noticed the oncoming ship from the above clouds. The ship was Mickey's, but the captain wasn't paying attention to Mortimer's ship. He was playing with Pluto again on the upper deck, whistling in glee every time the dog returned the bouncy ball. He was leaving the looking to Pete, who was at the edge of the ship with a telescope. Mickey didn't take his eyes off of his dog but still called out. "See anythin' worth takin'?"<p>

"Not really." Pete grumbled, trying to make the telescope fit over his newly repaired mechanical eye. "Maybe it's a private party… I don't see nothin' worth grabbin'…" He slowly looked the ship over until he came upon a sight worth taking. "Hey, hey! There's me beaut!" He said out loud to himself as his glassy eye fell on Minnie. If it wasn't the captain's girl! Or, more accurately, Pete's future girl. If he just had a moment alone with her, he was sure he could convince the girl to help him overthrow Mickey and then happily become Pete's bride. If Mickey wanted her, that meant she was a special girl. Everything Mickey had, Pete deserved to get. He would have continued ogling the missy, had Mickey's yo-yo not shot out, looped around the telescope, and yanked it back towards the captain. "What the – warn me when ye do that!"

Mickey ignored him as he grasped the telescope in his hand. He went up to Pete's side, and looked through the telescope. "So, what are ye holdin' out on me, Pete?" He couldn't figure out what Pete had gotten so excited over as an initial look at the ship proved to be lackluster. It didn't take long for his eye to catch exactly what Pete caught, and his reaction was even louder. "Minnie! And doesn't she look pretty!" he stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled in a pitch high enough to make Pete nearly topple over. Pluto raced to his master's side at the 'call', waiting orders. "Pluto, fetch me a hoverboard! I gotta visit me wife!" The dog saluted before barking and racing off to obey.

Pete snatched the telescope back out of Mickey's hands. "H-Hold on, captain… maybe I should go down there first, give her fair warnin' about us comin' aboard…"

Mickey pocketed his yo-yo and rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Just go and tell Goofy to get everythin' ready for an attack." he smoothed down his outfit, adjusted his hat, and licked his teeth, trying to make himself clean enough for a proper greeting. "I'll show that rabbit… Ohana… Osaka… whatever his name is!" It was more than a matter of just greeting her. He had to prove to Minnie, to that rabbit, to everyone in the world, that he loved her. The best way to prove anything was to make it as blatant as possible so it couldn't be ignored no matter how hard someone tried. It never occurred to him that since he had never been in love before, he could have benefited for asking for help on how to woo women. But asking for help was for sissies.

Pluto returned to Mickey's side with a small hover board in his mouth. As Mickey took it, Pete tried in vain to be heard again. "I really think I oughta go down first! Let me talk to her, I'll, uh… convince her ta marry ye!" Another time and Mickey would have picked up on the blatant lies Pete was spilling.

Right now, Mickey was too busy with thoughts of his woman, and he already jumped off the ship. Hover boards could only last for a few minutes, but that was all the time he needed to scoop Minnie up in his arms and take her back to his ship. Once again hindsight was not his friend as he probably should have aimed better as he flew directly towards her. Instead of taking her into his arms, he crashed right into her, landing right on top of her as his hover board bounced off of the ship and fell down towards the jungle. Collecting his wits, he tried to sit up, and looked down at his victim. "Sorry about that… landins aren't me specialty… are ye okay?"

Minnie was not okay. Her mouth was open from when she had shrieked in surprise, and now remained open in her anger and shock. Had she somehow summoned him just by thinking about him? Shaking, she grabbed him by his jacket, bringing him back down on top of her. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to say hi." He smiled at her, putting his hands on the floor to steady himself. "Now we can pick up where we left off last time! I can prove how much I love ye."

"Why is every man I talk to today a complete moron?" Minnie rolled her eyes before addressing Mickey again. "You don't love me, and there's no way you can prove otherwise." As an afterthought, she put her hand over her mouth. "And don't you dare kiss me again!"

"Okay. I won't kiss ye there." Minnie was about to ask what 'there' meant when Mickey suddenly ducked his head and she felt his mouth on her neck. He was being agreeable in that he wouldn't kiss her on the mouth. There were plenty of other places to kiss.

Minnie sucked in so much air that she thought her lungs would explode. "Wha-wha-what are you doing?" It was obvious that he was kissing her neck, but her words couldn't be controlled. "_Eek_! _Eek_! Mickey, get off of – _eeeeek_!" The extra screams were for her legs, which were now being felt up under her dress. "Getoffgetoffgetoff!" She tried to push and kick at him but he refused to budge, his thin tail flicking happily in the air.

"I'm just provin' me love." He murmured in between kisses, his breath hot on her neck. What better way could a man prove his love to a woman than by being physical? These acts couldn't be denied and they were fun too. As for why she was reacting with rejection, he chalked it up to her being shy. Men like Mortimer and Oswald didn't know how to appreciate a good thing when they had it, so Mickey believed they hadn't laid a hand on her. This beautiful body was Mickey's to claim. This neck he was kissing belonged to him, along with these legs he was fondling, and this rear he was squeezing.

"This isn't how you prove love, you stupid pirate!" Minnie said in one breath, beating her fists on Mickey's back. She knew as little about how love worked as he did, but she figured that the woman having an opinion the relationship was a very important factor. "Geeeeeeet oooooff!" She twisted and squirmed under his body, eyes shut, cheeks red, and her idiotic choice to wear two outfits was making her body feel hotter and hotter as the touches continued. She was a sweaty mess and now it was getting harder to breathe. She could have fought against him harder, but this darn out dress required a petticoat, and her ribs were being squished. She panted, and tossed her head back. "Mickeeeey!"

When she opened her eyes, her upside down vision caught Mortimer and Oswald standing in the doorway from the party. The duo had planned to snap at Minnie for being so loud and interrupting their argument, but the sight before them shut them up. They had come upon a familiar looking pirate on top of and touching Minnie, with her dress pushed up, her body sweaty, and had heard her final cry of his name. The dirty answer of this situation that they were deciding in their minds wasn't helped by Mickey lifting his head and growling at the intruders. "Mind comin' back later? We're in the middle a somethin'."

"No we're not!" Minnie screamed as she realized exactly what this situation looked like. "I swear we're not in the middle of anything! Or the beginning of anything!" Using Mickey's distraction, she moved her arm and punched him across the face. It was enough to send him reeling to the side and he fell off of her. She got to her feet, pushed down her dress, and wiped sweat off of her forehead with the back of her arm. "All right… now, I can explain everything."

The front of the ship was then devastated by a large cannonball, and more cannonballs followed it. Mickey threw his hands up in exasperation. "I told Pete ta wait! Ye just can't get good help these days." He shrugged it off as men from his ship began flying in on their own hover boards, jumping on the ship to begin their pillaging. Pete was among them, and he was heading right for the embedded ruby.

Minnie watched the disaster unfurl and knew she couldn't just stand aside. She turned her back towards the suitors behind her, and jabbed a thumb behind her. "Someone unzip my dress!" Again, Mortimer and Oswald were stunned into silence. Mickey didn't hesitate as he moved forward and pulled the zipper down. Minnie pushed her dress down, revealing her N.A.V.Y. uniform, and shoved the white dress into Mickey's arms. She took out her headband from within her jacket, placed it on, and then began stomping towards Pete. "You there! You're under arrest!"

Pete had arrived at the ruby, and was aiming his mechanical arm towards the jewel. His head perked up as he saw Minnie approach, and he smoothed down his short ears, trying to look good. "Well well, if it ain't the captain's lass!"

"I'm not the captain's anything!" Minnie yanked her pistol from her belt, and pointed it towards the cat. "Step away from the ruby!"

"It'll take more than that pea shooter to stop me, missy." Pete banged on his chest, trying to show off his robotic side. "I'm bullet proof, sword proof, and N.A.V.Y. proof! How's about ye help me get this big ol' ruby outta the ship?"

Mortimer shoved Oswald and Mickey aside to try and get forward. "Don't do it! The ruby is what keeps the ship balanced! If that gets destroyed or moved, this whole thing could capsize!"

Mickey tossed Minnie's dress aside as he looked at the older rat. "Why in the world would ye buy such a poorly designed ship?"

"He's bluffin'!" Pete huffed, saving Mortimer from having to explain that he bought the ship because it was shiny. "Finder's keepers!" His mechanical arm twisted and turned, forming a small canon that which used to fire directly at the side of the ruby. The plan worked, and the ruby was blasted out of its shape from the helm. There was no time to pick it up or go after it, however, as Mortimer was telling the truth for once. The second the ruby was out of the helm, the entire ship ever so suddenly began to tilt. The inside party goers and the outside pirates began to yell and grab whatever was nearest. When the ship was hanging in the air on its side, only five people had nothing to hold onto, and thus fell down into the jungle.

Down fell one fat cat, one long eared rabbit, one ruined rat, one perverted pirate, and one private who was hating her life more and more with each passing minute.

* * *

><p>Daisy did not see herself as a jealous person, but then Daisy had imaginative ways of rewording her problems. She wasn't cheating on Donald with all of those other men, she was enjoying herself before committing herself to marriage. She wasn't using Donald's money to buy jewelry and other accessories, she was making herself beautiful for Donald's viewing pleasure. Right now, at the same as Minnie was falling and hating, she wasn't spying on Donald's dinner with Donna, she was just passing through this area, dropped her binoculars in the bushes, and he happened to be across the street when she picked them up and peered through them.<p>

Donald would never have guessed he was being peered at for in his biased loving eyes he saw Daisy as perfect. He was also busy with other thoughts, as he thanked the waiter for showing him to a table outside of the small restaurant. He checked his watch before sitting down, and tapped his finger on the metal table. It had been a long time since he had seen Donna, and he wasn't quite sure how he was going to weasel out top secret information from his ex-girlfriend. It was still worth a try, and he felt he was doing more than Darkwing was. He hadn't heard from the mallard since their last argument.

A shadow fell on him, and he nervously turned his head to face his guest. "Donna." She hadn't changed much since he'd last seen her. She was still as lovely as ever, with her long hair let loose around her shoulders. She still dressed the same, with gold decorations in her hair, and a blue veil lightly draped over the back of her head. Her thin dress was also light blue, and it was fitting her form very nicely as she sat down. "N-Nice to see you again."

That's when Donald's head turned and Daisy could no longer read how his beak was moving. She couldn't properly read Donna's either, as her thick Spanish accent was enough to throw Daisy off. Grumbling, Daisy sat on her knees, trying to think. Donald had refused to tell Daisy why he was meeting Donna, and that only made her angrier. Donald never held secrets from her, and sometimes was way too blunt in his honesty. Whatever this secret was, it had to be big. Or maybe this was the fault of that wretched woman now batting her eyelashes at him. Daisy hated them both right now despite knowing full well she had little justification for it.

Donald wouldn't dream of cheating on her! It wasn't fair! She could have all the men she wanted, but the idea of him even looking at another woman made her skin crawl. She twisted the ring on her finger, not wanting to wake up to her own prejudice. All that mattered now was finding a way to hear what they were saying without being caught. As she tried to think, the street before her slowly became full. The traffic lights were on red, and the carriages were coming to a gentle halt. An idea sprung to Daisy's mind, and she jumped from the bush, hiding behind one of the carriages. She ducked her head around it, but she could only hear snippets of conversation.

" … know it's a lot to ask for, but…"

"… playing hard to get, and yet…"

"… would really help me out…"

None of that was helpful! She held her breath, and darted behind another carriage, closer to the restaurant, and then another. She was almost right in front of them with the last carriage, and tried not to breathe as she could hear them speaking.

Donald was sounding nervous but also very kind, trying to reassure his date. "In the big picture, this would help the both of us. I don't want to go into this and have you getting hurt. So do you really understand exactly what I'm asking for?"

Donna clicked her tongue and took longer than was necessary to answer. "Well… what could it hurt?" She then chuckled softly, and Daisy's hands formed into fists as she heard Donna use her sultry accent. "Thees ees what I always liked about you, Dona'd. Always so nice to me."

The shy mumble of Donald's 'thanks' only made Daisy angrier. Donald was only supposed to be nice to her! Donald was only supposed to worry about her getting hurt! Donald was hers, hers, hers! As she frothed in jealousy, the traffic light turned green, and all of the carriages began to move. Daisy hadn't been paying attention, and so when the carriage she was leaning on moved too quickly, she wound up falling face first onto the street. She scrambled to get to her feet before another carriage ran her over, and yelped as she tried to get on her feet and run to the curb. When she was safe, she was also right in front of the dining ducks, her uniform smudged with dirt and her hair a filthy mess. They stared at her, and she stared back, none of them able to say a word.

Donald bravely chose to break the silence. "… Daisy? What are you doing here?"

The name registered with Donna, who pointed a fork at the dirty girl. "Thees ees your fiancé?"

Daisy moved hair out of her face before deciding to reply, flippant and pretending like she hadn't just made a fool of herself. "I was just in the neighborhood. Doing patrol. It's what I do. Patrol things." She then walked right up to Donald, and firmly grasped his shoulders. "And now I have to get back to patrol. So I'll see you later." She then kissed Donald hard and deep, counting to five in her head, and then calmly letting him go. She cast a quick glare at a confused Donna, and then merrily walked away, dusting herself off.

Donna looked at Donald, who was frozen in the position he'd taken when he'd been kissed. Judging by his red face and glassy eyes, she wasn't going to get any further conversation out of him. She'd have to hand over the information he wanted at a later time. Shrugging, she raised a hand to try and get a waiter's attention. "Check, please."

* * *

><p>While Minnie was falling with hate and Daisy was strolling with hate, Millicent and Clarabelle had been assigned to actual duties that so far contained no hate. In fact, the girls were very excited in the duty they had been given that they, and they could not contain their excitement was they walked into Buckingham palace. As they strolled among the rich and famous inside of the palace, Clarabelle kept looking over her shoulder to see if she could catch anyone's eye. "This is unbelievable! We get to guard Prince Edward! The prince of England, and we're the ones who have to watch him all day!"<p>

"It's pretty wonderful." Millicent swung her arms back and forth, almost bouncing on her heels. "I never thought we'd guard royalty. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, don't you think?"

Clarabelle nodded in agreement, and then tugged on Millicent's arm, trying to head for a tall row of stairs. "He hasn't shown up, so let's look around! I want to remember every single square inch of this place!"

"I don't know…" Millicent timidly tried to object as she was easily dragged along. "Shouldn't we wait down here with everyone else for his arrival?"

"It'll just be a few minutes!" When they reached the stairs, another woman was standing there and almost seemed to have been waiting for them. "… Or a little longer, if Nancy here tags along."

Nancy Tremaine smiled as she was recognized. She was a tall black haired human, wearing a form fitting business suit, and she was already jotting down several lines in a small notepad. "Hello, ladies. Care to share a short interview before the fun begins?"

"Nope." Clarabelle began walking up the stairs, with Millicent reluctantly following. "Not after what you wrote in your paper about calling the Hawkins disaster all Minnie's fault!"

"Those were your exact words." Nancy pointed out as she followed them up the stairs.

"Well, here are my exact words now – get lost!" Clarabelle stomped on each step, and Millicent tried to smooth out the wrinkled rug from the stomps.

Nancy continued to tail them as she wrote. "You really have nothing to say about today's big event? Prince Edward is officially announcing that he's looking for a woman to marry, the woman who will be the future queen of England! It's the kingdom's biggest buzz! And you honestly have nothing to say about it?"

Clarabelle reached the top step, and glanced down at the insistent reporter. "… One minute, and that's all you get." She and Millicent were now able to look down at the crowd of guests below, and Millicent leaned on the stairway to try and get a better look at everyone.

Nancy met them up top with a big smile. "Great! All right, so you two have been assigned to guard Prince Edward all day during this announcement party, right?" When Clarabelle nodded, Nancy flipped a page for more writing space. "What do you think about his highness and this big day?"

Clarabelle allowed herself to relax and ease into her excitement once more. "It's pretty amazing! Prince Edward is such a dreamboat, and I really envy the girl he picks. I just want to know what kind of girl he's looking for." She flung her head and arm back for dramatic flair. "If he wants good looks and a good aim, he doesn't have to look any further! And you can put that in your headline!" She grinned at the chance until she realized Nancy had stopped writing and gone pale. "… What?" She followed Nancy's eyeline, and realized that in the dramatic arm flail, Millicent had been knocked right over the balcony stairway and was plummeting down. "… Uh-oh. You're not going to print that, are you?"

Minutes before the fall, Prince Edward was walking through the palace with his servant Nathanial loyally at his side. The smaller and pudgier man tried to meet his majesty's eyes, worried over the sad expression his superior was wearing. "Your highness, what troubles you so?"

Edward sighed heavily, holding himself and his gigantic puffy sleeves. "Oh, Nathanial, it just burdens my heart to know I haven't found my perfect half yet! There's a perfect someone for me out there, and every minute I'm not with her, my world isn't complete!" he put a hand over his breaking heart. "I just have to find her. Without love, how can I ever take on the throne? If only you could understand…" Voice swelling, he stretched out his arms. "_I've been dreaming of_- "

"Your highness." Nathaniel instantly cut in, mixing aggravation with respect. "I've told you to stop singing randomly. It makes people stare." He then spoke calmly again to address the subject at hand. "I'm certain you'll find her. The Kingdom is full of beautiful, eligible women. You just have to be patient, that's all."

Edward stopped at a pair of large golden doors that would lead them to the party. "Patient? Whatever do you mean, Nathanial?"

Nathanial stopped walking when the prince did, and carefully straightened out the prince's gold and purple outfit. "Courting is a delicate art. You can't just expect the perfect woman to fall into your arms on your first try." He smiled in an effort to be comforting. "Now then, are you ready to greet your kingdom?"

"I suppose so." Edward ran a hand through his hair. "I'll try and be patient… but my heart is crying out to find her!" He swung the doors open and walked forward, directly under the balcony of stairs that Clarabelle and Nancy were on. As everyone turned to see him, he thrust out his arms again, unable to resist what he felt was the best way to display his emotions. "_I've been dreaming of a -_ "

Nathanial didn't have to cut off his song this time, as a falling poodle did the job for him. Millicent had been accidentally pushed right off the balcony, and fell right into Edward's open arms. Millicent was so dizzy from the fall that she didn't hear the startled gasps of the party guests or even really understand why she had fallen. She blinked hard, and saw Edward's startled face. "Oh! You're the prince!" She stated the obvious, and then saluted. "It's nice to meet you, your highness!"

Edward blinked as well, and then drew a breath. "Nathanial. Take note."

Nathanial had been trying to figure out where the girl came from, and continued looking up even as he was being dressed. "Of what, your highness?"

Edward grinned, showing off his perfectly clean white teeth. "I've found the woman who is to be my bride!" He squeezed the dog close to his chest in newfound joy.

"What?" Shrieked Millicent, shrieked Nathanial, shrieked Nancy, shrieked every single member of the party, except for Clarabelle, who mouthed "Uh-oh" again.

* * *

><p>In the jungle section of Scrooge's zoo, Minnie had fallen into a fresh mud pile. After she spent a few moments contemplating whether she would have preferred dying on impact, she forced herself to stand, and brushed as much mud off of herself as she could. It would take at least three washings of her uniform to make it clean, and probably three times that for her fur. Her pistol was useless now as it was jammed with mud, and as Minnie looked at her surroundings, she knew she had absolutely no idea how to get out or where the exit was. If she had her special skates, she could have flown out, but she couldn't have fit extra shoes or boots within these fancy white ones that had matched her fancy white dress. She was dirty, defenseless, and downtrodden.<p>

She silently wandered the zoo jungle trying to look for any signs until her name was called out from above. "Minnie! Little help?" She looked up, and saw Captain Mickey dangling from a tree, his legs tied up in intricate thick vines. His weapons must have fallen off during his fall, and right now he was just trying to hold onto his hat.

Minnie crossed her arms, angry eyes fixed on him. "And why should I help you down?"

"Cause all the blood's rushin' ta me head and I'm gunna hurl?" The joke fell flat as Minnie's grim expression didn't change. "…Pretty please?"

Minnie bit her lower lip as she thought, and then touched her sword, the blade having managed to stay with her due to the scabbard on her belt. "If I help you, you have to swear to keep your hands to yourself. No kissing me, no touching me, I don't even want you looking at me. Do you swear?"

"I swear I'm gunna pass out at this rate." Mickey moaned, his eyes rolling in his skull. Minnie felt the tiniest prick of pity, and headed to the tree he was suspended from. There were other vines falling from the branches, and Minnie used them to climb up the tree to get to Mickey's side. She pulled out her sword, and in one swift movement, sliced apart the vines holding Mickey's legs. He fell on his head and flopped on his back. "… Like I said…" He managed to groan as Minnie climbed back down. "…Landins ain't me specialty." Minnie's boot landed on his chest before he could attempt sitting up, and he looked up at her displeased face.

"It's dangerous to wander this place alone, so we'll be looking for a way out together." Her voice was cold and commanding, and she pressed down on his chest to make sure he was hurting a little. She was still very miffed about his assault on her neck, legs, and rear, and she wanted to make sure he paid for it. "But that's all. I'm not agreeing to marry you, and once we've found the exit, I'm arresting you. That's all."

Mickey nodded and then raised a hand. "Can I say one thing?"

"Just one." Minnie held up one finger.

Mickey lightly tapped her boot. "If ye ever catch another guy… don't do this to 'im."

"And why shouldn't I?" She pressed even harder down on his chest.

"Because I can see up yer skirt."

By the time Mickey recovered from Minnie kicking his nose after that observation, the private had already begun storming away. Mickey rubbed his sore nose and quickly tried to run after her, offering injured apologies that she wouldn't listen to. "Ye can't still be mad about what happened up there!" he jabbed a thumb upwards, indicating he meant his 'love confession' on Mortimer's ship. "I was just showin' ye how much I love ye!"

"You were doing no such thing." She hissed in clenched teeth as she refused to look at him. "You were showing me how much you loved my legs!" Clarabelle was right, everything had been head games. He was just a lusty man who wanted to cop a feel and he didn't have any real feelings towards her.

"Aint that the same thing?" Mickey scratched his head. "I love everythin' about ye, and that means yer legs too." He airily waved a hand towards her drooping tail. "Wanna know what else I love about ye?"

Minnie yanked her tail out of Mickey's targeted grasp. "No. No I do not. Touch me again and I'll cut your hand off."

Mickey came to her side, walking alongside her. "Then how else am I supposed ta prove how much I love ye?" Seriously, how was he supposed to? He was running out of options and she was proving to be stubborn. Until he could think of a better idea, he'd just have to try even harder with his current plan, even if it meant he'd get a broken nose at this rate. Better a broken nose than a broken heart.

"It's not my problem!" Minnie raised her head high, but further argument was postponed when another argument interrupted them. In a clearing a few feet up ahead, Mortimer, Oswald, and Pete had managed to not only find each other, but were in the midst of a heated battle. Pete's mechanical arm now took the form of a sword, Oswald was using his hidden sword-cane to defend himself, and Mortimer kept trying to find new hiding places. Minnie pressed two fingers to her temples. "… That is my problem."

Mickey contemplated giving her shoulder a good luck pat, but figured he should give his nose a chance to rest first.

**End Of Chapter Nine. **


	10. Blood Versus Water

As always, super big thanks to my editor Lies! Oooo girl how I love you so.

* * *

><p>Minnie wasn't sure if she should treat the fighting trio like the civilized men she thought they could be, or like the fourth graders they were acting like. She took a breath, and then raised her voice, trying to get their attention. "That's enough!" But either they didn't hear her, or they were ignoring her, because the fight still waged on. Even Mortimer was foolishly getting in on it, hiding behind a tree and throwing rocks at Oswald and Pete. Minnie tried again and again, her voice growing louder and louder. "Gentlemen… If you could just… I'm trying to… Will you idiots just stop?"<p>

Mickey patted her shoulder, stepping up. "Lemme try." He stuck two fingers into his mouth, and then whistled at a pitch so high several jungle birds in the vicinity screeched back in return. It did the trick, as Pete, Mortimer, and Oswald stopped in place to glare at Mickey. Mickey grinned in victory, but then was shoved into the male group by Minnie. "Hey! Where's me thanks?"

"Thanks." The reply was bitterer than he had expected. She cleared her throat before addressing the four men. "All right, now that I have your attention… we need to understand the situation we are in." She had Mortimer's attention, as he was looking at her legs. "This is an unopened zoo, and since it's the weekend, there might not be anyone working here, so we're on our own." She had Pete's attention, as he was looking at her hips. "So we need to work together in order to find the exit, and put aside any differences we have." She had Oswald's attention, as he was looking at her chest. "There is to be no fighting of any kind until we get out." She had Mickey's attention, as he was looking at her face. "Do you all understand?"

"Loud and clear, turtledove." Mickey saluted with a smile. "So where do we start movin'?"

Minnie would have given a guess but Mortimer just had to storm up to Mickey with a scowl. "Turtledove? Where do you get off calling my Minerva something so stupid?"

"I could come up with twenty better pet names than some ugly bird." Oswald added in, and counted on his fingers trying to come up with them. "Let me see…"

"Ye guys don't know nothin' about women!" Pete threw in his unwanted two cents. "It aint about the names! No wonder ye guys can't get a hold of her…"

Minnie threw her hands up in exasperation, all but screaming. "What in the world did I just finish telling you?"

Now the argument was tossed at her, as Mortimer turned to her with anger still clear on his face. "I'm just trying to defend your honor! "

Mickey snorted at that notion. "Defend? Like ye were defendin' yerself until we came up? Real heroic stuff, throwin' rocks an' hidin' like a little lad…"

"What about ye, Captain?" Pete roughly shoved Mickey by the shoulder, looming over him. "Didn't see ye comin' to help me when I was fightin' the rabbit! Ain't a captain supposed to protect his crew? Girl doesn't want ye cause yer a coward!"

Oswald puffed out his chest in pride at the mention of his name. "He didn't fight because he knew he'd lose against me. A few more seconds, cat, and you would have been nothing but scrap metal! That's why I'm the best candidate to be Minerva's husband, I can actually protect her!"

On and on the argument went, with who could protect her best and who was best for her, until the trophy in question lost her temper. She picked up four of Mortimer's rocks, and hurled them all in rapid succession, smacking each fool in the head. It was childish, but she felt she was now among children. As they rubbed their heads in pain, Minnie marched up the group, growling dangerously. "Is this how I have to make you behave? Then listen!" She grabbed Mortimer by the arm. "This is the man I'm marrying! Him, and him alone!" Mortimer smirked – "I don't care if he's stupid and cheap and ugly and misogynistic..." - Mortimer stopped smirking. "He's the one I'm arranged to, and you'll all just have to accept it!"

Releasing Mortimer's arm, she went to Oswald, and poked his chest. "I'm not marrying you just so you can win in some imaginary contest with Mickey! You're rude and snobby and you waste your money! You're always trying to prove how good you are compared to your family, when you should want people to like you who for you are! And naming a ship B.L.O.T. is just bad marketing!"

Now it was Pete's turn, and she looked up at him with her hands on her hips. "And you, I barely even know you, and you're already trying to fight over me? You're a pirate, it's not going to happen! Even worse, you're a pirate who disrespects your captain! If you don't respect your leader, how is anyone supposed to respect you? So stay out of a fight that wasn't even supposed to happen, and shape up! Or you'll be arrested without any dignity at all!"

Finally, she went to Mickey, giving him the hardest glare of all. "And _you_. You just don't take no for an answer, but that's all I've ever said to you! Do you even understand what kind of nightmare you've put me through? My friends are constantly worrying over me, my Captain thinks I'm unworthy of wearing this uniform, the newspapers call me a rookie, and because of you I've got extra men to fend off! Because of you, everyone either pities me or thinks I'm a moron or is trying to get their grubby hands on me! What do you have to say for yourself?" By now, she had been leaning towards him so much that he had started leaning backwards, almost losing his balance. "_Well?"_

Mickey's eyes remained on her, and for a moment, the jungle was quiet. He bit his lip, and then straightened himself up. He knew there was only one thing to say. "I'm sorry."

Minnie had been ready to serve him another rant when he spoke. She never would have expected an apology when he did speak. She stayed in place, wondering if she heard correctly. Even the other men looked surprised. "…What?" She asked, pulling her body back.

"I'm sorry." Mickey repeated, and his shoulders sunk. "I didn't mean fer alla that ta happen ta ye… I didn't think ye'd get so much of the blame when I escaped on the Hawkins. And I sure didn't want any other fellas after ye. I know how important bein' a N.A.V.Y. girl is ta ye, and I didn't wanna do nothin' to yer reputation. The last thing I'd ever want is fer ye ta be unhappy, and… and is that all I've ever done ta ye?" He took off his hat, holding it to his chest, and bowed his head. "I really am sorry, turtledove."

Minnie was wondering if she had suddenly become a part of history because she had never heard a case of a pirate being able to apologize. Clarabelle's warnings about head games stayed clear in Minnie's mind, yet Mickey sounded so sincere. Unsure of what to do, she shifted the balance in her legs, fidgeting. "Oh. Well. Um…" She wasn't ready to forgive him, but she didn't know what to say in response. How was it that Mickey could always be counted on for more surprises?

Mortimer could always be counted on for ruining a good moment, as he did now, going up to Minnie's side and accidentally shoving her aside with his weight. "And you owe me an apology too, pirate! Where's mine? You think you could just get away with stealing my fiancé?"

Minnie's frustration easily came back, and she tried to get her future husband's attention. "Mortimer, I can handle this, you know he couldn't actually take me."

"I know what I've been seeing!" Mortimer turned on her again, demanding his opinion be the only one that mattered. Pete and Oswald had sat down on tree roots and longed for some popcorn. "This was the guy at the engagement party who cheated to get you, and the one who was on top of you on my boat! Whenever I throw a party, he's there, after you! Do you know what you've been doing to _my _reputation? Now you've got more men trying to have you as their wife… what kind of _floozy woman_ am I getting attached to?"

"Mortimer!" Minnie could only think to say that in her insulted shock.

Mickey could not only think of more, he grabbed Mortimer by the arm and held it as tightly as possible. "Ye can't speak ta her like that!" His apologetic tone had quickly vanished, and now he was snarling, fingers nearly tearing into Mortimer's expensive clothes.

Mortimer tried to yank his arm back, but Mickey was stronger than the snob expected. "She's my fiancé, I can speak to her however I want! Now unhand me, you filthy degenerate!"

"Apologize ta her!" Mickey yanked Mortimer right back, forcing Mortimer to go eye to eye with him. "Apologize right now!"

"Make me!" Mortimer swung his free arm back, ready to punch Mickey, and Minnie ran towards them, ready to stop the next fight…

_BONK!_

… when a wood and rope ladder fell right on Mortimer's head. It could be said that the ladder was very strong, or that Mortimer was very weak, but either way, Mortimer slowly fell backwards, without a sound, as he had been knocked out. Mickey let go of his arm, and everyone looked up to see where the dangling ladder had come from. Two bodies were climbing down the ladder, and jumped off near the bottom, landing on the grass. The first was Goofy, who looked delighted to see Mickey and Pete. "Hey, we finally found ye! Shucks, we've been searchin' fer ye fellas ferever! Everyone okay?" He then noticed the unconscious body, and stepped backwards from it. "…Oops." The second body was a much smaller one, wearing a hooded cloak of brown and not letting any of its body be seen, save for thick black boots and two sharp cat claws. This one merely nodded to what Goofy was saying, quiet.

Mickey's anger eased as he saw his companions. "It's about time ye fellas got here! Let's get outta this mess. Goofy, take the rat an' haul him ta the brig." He then smiled at Minnie and Oswald, gesturing to the ladder. "Ready ta get on board a real ship?"

Minnie knew she had little choice, now surrounded by pirates, and was ready to comply. Oswald, however, saw his time to shine especially now that Mortimer was out of the way. "I'd rather die than get on board a pirate ship! You'll never take me hostage! Stand back, Minerva!" Ignoring Minerva's protests, he whipped out his cane sword, and aimed at what he thought would be the easiest target to take down – the cloaked cat. "If you surrender now, I'll show you some mercy!" The disguised one looked unimpressed by way of crossing its arms. Insulted, Oswald ran towards the cat, and grabbed the front of the cat's clothes, intending to drag this pirate forward. "Do you have any idea who I am, you - "

He stopped when he felt something squish under his grasp. Men's chests were not supposed to squish. Nor were men supposed to cry out "_Eek_!" in a feminine pitch and slap him across the face, not only sending him back a foot, but also leaving scratches on his face. Now everyone stared at what they now thought of as 'her'. After recovering his wits, Mickey turned on Pete. "Ye recruited a girl on me ship? We don't recruit girls, ever!" Even Goofy was lifting his bandana to scratch his head in confusion.

Pete held up his hands in defense. "He never… I mean, she never said she was a girl! How was I supposed to know?" Come to think of it, this particular new recruit had never said a word since he – she! – was brought on board. This pirate had always hidden until they were needed, and never tried to interact with anyone.

The discovered women looked around, and then grunted as the ruse had to be given up. "Oooh… this is all yer fault!" She pointed angrily to a stunned Oswald. "Everythin' was goin' fine until ye had ta… b-b-be a big pervert! Guess I don't got much of a choice now…" She untied her cloak and hood and let it fall to the ground. The pirate standing there was clearly a woman, since her black and purple dress was showing enough of her curves to prove it. A black furred cat, it could now be seen that her sharp claws were actually knives she kept constantly curled around in her fingers. "Me real name is Ortensia. But I'm still a pirate, and I'm still a member of this crew, so I ain't leavin'!"

This day was just full of surprises for Minnie, and with a hand on her heart, she didn't know if she could handle any more of them. As usual, what she wanted didn't matter, as another surprise was made by Mickey stepping forward with his arms wide, sounding excited. "Ortensia? Me little Ortensia? Is that really ye?" He didn't wait for an answer, now running up to her and scooping her up in his arms, twirling her around in the air. "Little Ortensia! As I live an' breathe!"

Ortensia was quickly enough returning the happiness, laughing merrily and hugging him around the neck. "Mickey, quit it! I'm not little anymore! C'mon, put me down!"

Mickey relented, easing her down and chuckling. "Ye've got a lot of explainin' ta do… but this calls fer a round of drinks! Everyone, on board!" Ortensia went to the ladder and began to climb up, with Mickey following.

"Cap'n!" Goofy called out, hoping to reach him. "What about the rabbit and yer wife?"

"Put 'em in the brig too!" Mickey shouted down at him. "We've got some catchin' up ta do first!"

Minnie's body went along with everything automatically. It walked and climbed for her without her needing to think about it. This was very useful, because her mind was too shocked to give the body any commands. It wasn't that she was going to be prisoner on a pirate ship, or that Mortimer and Oswald had both been injured. There were a few facts that had sent her reeling, and they had been facts her friends had warned her about. Mickey knew other women, and by the look of it, he knew this other women very well. Mickey had a woman in his life besides Minnie. He had a woman who made him very happy.

That should have been a relief. That should have been another reason why the two couldn't be together. That should have been the answer to her problems. It should have been all of that and much more, but instead, what it was, what it undeniably was? It was uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>While Minnie was uncomfortable emotionally, Horace was uncomfortable physically, though it was fair to say his own emotions were in a wreck too. He had heard a startling news announcement on the radio, and he didn't even wait for the report to finish before he was running out of his room and towards the plane hangar. Though Horace could fly, it was not recommended, for he had severe back problems. That hardly mattered to him now, nor did it matter that he was getting into a plane without permission. All that mattered was getting to Buckingham palace as soon as possible to stop what he saw as an unthinkable tragedy. He turned off the radio within the plane to ignore any reprimand, and struggled to ignore the pain his back was in.<p>

Since this plane was meant for only one person to fly in, time and distance were quickened. When he reached the palace, he saw it lacked any kind of runway, so he tried to make a smooth and peaceful landing by the gates. What he got was a haphazard crash landing that destroyed the gates and left more than a scratch on the plane. He could worry about the costs to fix such things and all the trouble he was in later, there were more important things to do! He popped the hatch, and crawled out, only to be surrounded by dozens of palace guards, pointing their guns at him. He had no choice but to worry about the trouble he was in right that second.

He raised his arms up to show he was unarmed. "W-wait a minute, don't shoot! Ya guys don't understand! I have ta stop this weddin'!"

"N.A.V.Y. Private, coming though." The guards slowly stepped aside to let a woman walk up to the disastrous scene. Clarabelle didn't know what to think when she had seen the A.R.M.Y. plane crash into the gates, and had run over as fast as she could. Now that she could see the 'invader', all official pose was lost. "Horace Horsecollar, what in the world do you think you're doing?"

"Clarabelle!" he raced up to her, and grabbed her by the shoulders, almost shaking her. "I just heard on the radio! That you and Millicent were guardin' the prince, and that he up and proposed!"

Clarabelle rolled her eyes as she nodded. "That's right." She had seen it with her own eyes and still couldn't believe it happened. "It was the silliest thing I had ever - "

"Ya can't marry him, Clarabelle!" Now Horace was shaking her, back and forth in desperation. "Ya just can't! I won't let ya!"

Clarabelle stared at him, her disbelief now doubled. "Uh, Horace…" Even some of the guards had started laughing.

"I know he's rich and he's handsome and he's a prince…" Horace hadn't prepared what he was going to say for this confrontation and was clearly making it up from the top of his head. "But ya just can't marry him! Please, ya can't!"

"Horace…" Clarabelle tried again, this time more agitated.

"He doesn't love ya, he can't love ya!" He let go of her shoulders to grasp her hands firmly in his. "I know it ain't much, but… but… he can't marry ya, because I lo- "

"Because he's marrying Millie." Clarabelle successfully managed to finish for him. "He didn't propose to me, he proposed to Millie."

Horace wasn't sure what he would have preferred, the continuous laughter of the guards, or silence that would have left him to hear his head calling him a moron. "… Oh. Huh. Whaddya know." He hoped that today was just extremely hot and that he wasn't feeling the heat off his own red cheeks. "… Uh, well, I heard on the radio that he proposed ta one of the N.A.V.Y girls guardin' him taday… an' I figured between Millie and ya…"

Clarabelle raised an eyebrow, her cheeks beginning to match his. "And you thought he proposed to me? Why?"

"Um." It was about as articulate as he could make himself at the moment. "Um." He also realized that they were still holding hands which didn't help his speech any. "Ummm."

"And why were you flying a plane?" Clarabelle fortunately managed to focus on less embarrassing aspects. "You know that's not good for your back! And you're going to march right up the royal family and tell them it was you who ruined the gate!" She pulled her hands back, and turned around, expecting him to follow as she headed back for the palace. "They're busy enough as is, making arrangements for the wedding tomorrow…"

"T-Tomorrow?" Horace caught up to her side, glad to get away from the guards. "But didn't he just propose taday?"

"I know, it's insane." Clarabelle frowned as the scenes replayed in her head. "But Prince Edward wants to marry her as soon as possible. Everyone is just going along with it… except Millie." She opened the doors to the palace, where servants were already at work to decorate for the wedding. "She told him no, she keeps telling him no, but he won't hear a word of it!" She looked at Horace as she drew conclusions in her mind. "I asked her why before she was dragged off to try on dresses, and she wouldn't tell me why she didn't want to marry him. You and I know Millie has been seeing some mystery guy, but she won't name him, and won't even admit she's seeing him. I bet if she just said who she was seeing, Edward would let her go, but she absolutely refuses!"

"What a time ta be stubborn." Horace looked around, slightly awed by the impressive and lavish decorating the palace was going through. "If Millie doesn't wanna marry prince Edward, but she can't name the guy she does wanna be with… what is she gunna do?"

Clarabelle shrugged. "I have no idea. They won't even let me see her. The wedding is going to be right here in the palace tomorrow, so we should stick around. Millie is our friend… there has to be something we can do."

Horace tapped his chin in thought. Just why couldn't Millie say who she was dating, especially when she was being forced into a marriage she didn't want? There was no explanation for it. On second thought, there could be one reason why she couldn't talk about her lover… but, no, that would be impossible, and ridiculous.

* * *

><p>"Enter."<p>

The doors into the oval office opened, and two beautiful women entered, side by side. The only thing the women had in common with each was they were pirates. The woman to the left was an elegant cat, with brown fur and bright green eyes. Her long black hair was held in place by a golden head ornament, a decorated snake peering out. She also wore a gold circle around one of her arms, and gold even appeared to decorate her lavish belt, which held six swords, three on each side. Her tight red dress left very little to the imagination, and even as she walked her hips sashayed side for side for attention.

The other woman, doglike, chose to wear men's fashion to hide her hips and curves. The dark reds and whites out the outfit couldn't hide the fact that in each pocket she had, a silver pistol was sticking out. The only feminine part of her was her head, since her ears had large hooped earrings, her red hair had a habit of sticking up, and her face was enough to make a good man turn his head to look, even if she was scowling. Both women stopped at the desk near the windows, and waited for the man sitting in the chair behind the desk to face them.

The chair took its time turning, for the man sitting in it looked displeased. A staggeringly tall wolf, he was the most well dressed man in the room, with a black and white business suit that looked two times smaller than he did. It almost blended into his black and white fur, though his white face did have shades of red anger. "Is this how you dress when you come to meet royalty?" He growled, resting his elbows on the desk.

"I don't see a crown on ye yet, Barnaby Wolf." The pistol preferring woman pointed out. "I didn't come here fer fashion tips, I came fer the job… and I expected ta do it alone." She side eyed the cat, which had never stopped smirking since she entered the room.

"You don't have to work together." Barnaby tapped his fingers together. "But I don't want to leave such an important assignment to just one person. You're both good at what you do." He looked to the cat. "Mirage, master of deception, and from what I hear you've already got a base set up in the Kingdom of England."

"You've done your homework, your highness." Mirage bowed ever so slightly. Her dialect didn't match that of a usual pirate, but then she wasn't a usual pirate. "I'm sure Peggy and I can come to some form of agreement."

"That's Pistol Peg, ta ye!" Peg snapped, trying to resist the urge to fire her namesake. "Do what ye want, but I ain't workin' with ye. I've done me homework too, and I know about all yer backstabbin'! Ye'd sell yer own mother if it'd get you another pretty piece of jewelry!"

"That's enough." The wolf huffed, hoping to stop the oncoming argument. "I'm not paying you two to bicker. You know exactly why I contacted you both." He then stood up, and pulled a drawer out from the desk. He took out two manila folders from within the drawer, and handed one to each woman. "My father is finally going to give up the useless search for my sister, and crown me king. To make sure it happens without any hitches, I want you to look into these people, and report where they live and what their daily schedule is."

"Has it really been so long since the princess was kidnapped?" Mirage's question didn't sound like she actually didn't care about the answer. She ran her fingers along her folder, musing out loud. "But then I guess no father is perfect. He was bound to give up sooner or later."

"And don't I know it!" Barnaby smacked his chair, causing it to swivel around and around. "It's been almost thirty years since those pirates kidnapped her on her wedding day, and yet father still held onto the belief she was alive! Like she would have made a good ruler, even if she did return… she was nothing but a fat, stupid, waste of space!" he grabbed the chair to stop it from spinning, and huffed and puffed, calming down. "… But it doesn't matter anymore. Now I will be King."

Peg flipped through the papers in her folder, wondering why the names there held any significance to this affair. "I remember that still bein' a big deal when I was a little lass… the infamous pirate Devil Eyes snatchin' the princess of America. No one could find him or his crew… and then those rumors that his crew disbanded, and his ship destroyed! Dunno what kept yer Pa thinkin' she was alive after all." She closed the folder. "Ye want us to kill the fellas in these folders?"

Barnaby shook his head. "That may not be necessary. Just find me their locations and their schedule, and I will see if they present any threat to me. Once you give me what I want, you'll get paid… and maybe given extra assignments dealing with these people." He waved a hand. "You're dismissed."

Peg rolled her shoulder, not caring, and turned to leave. Mirage bowed again, with a bit more respect this time. "Long live the king." She exchanged smiles with Barnaby, and walked alongside Peg, leaving the office. She took a quick glance inside of her folder, and upon reading one name, she chuckled deep in her throat.

Peg glanced over, as the doors closed behind them once they had left. "What's so funny?"

Mirage closed the folder. "I'm just going to enjoy this assignment, that's all."

Peg frowned, but didn't add on. She didn't care for Mirage at all, and was determined not to work with her. Mirage was infamous for her betrayals, and she only cared for himself. She frequently used her beauty and charm to get what she wanted, and that made Peg sick. As far as Peg was concerned, Mirage was a disgrace to pirates. She shook her head, trying to distract herself from the angering thoughts. She found a distraction once they came by the empty throne room, and she noticed something odd above the throne. There was a single sword stuck there, with its handle colored red, white, and blue. It was held in place that layers of metal, lapping over it almost like duct tape.

Mirage noticed where Peg's eyes were going. "They call it the System Sword. It was built into this place when they modified the White House." She waved a hand toward the sword. "The people of America will only accept a ruler who can pass a blood test and prove they really are next in line for the throne. The last King puts the sword back up there so it can be tangled up." She then motioned to the throne. "Behind there is a hidden hole. The heir to the throne sticks their arm in there, and an interior blade checks their blood. If the DNA inside of it matches previous rulers, the sword is untangled and given to the next king or queen. If it doesn't match…" She snapped her fingers. "The interior blade cuts off their hand."

Peg rubbed her wrist at the bloody images in her head. "That's a big risk. I think I'd like keepin' me hand over becomin' queen."

"Isn't that a relief." Mirage resumed walking, ignoring the heated glare from the other pirate.

* * *

><p>Even from the jail cells on Mickey's ship, the two chained prisoners could hear the loud cheering from rooms up above, with the third prisoner still unconscious. Yelling, singing, cups smashed together, a grand party was being held for Ortensia, by the sound of it. As Minnie paced back and forth in the cell, she would occasionally stop in one place, trying to listen for any vital information. At least, that's what she was telling herself. The truth, which she would flatly deny if being told so, was that she was trying to learn the connection between Mickey and Ortensia. The way they had just been so happy to see one another, and hugged, and smiled… it had created a knot in her stomach that only grew tighter as time went on.<p>

Realizing she wasn't going to be hearing above the drunken cries and merry songs, she gave up her walk for now, and leaned against the cold wall, looking at her fellow prisoner. Oswald had settled for sitting since they arrived, grumbling but otherwise unusually quiet. The scratch on his cheek from Ortensia's slap was still clear as day, and Minnie wondered for a moment if it didn't hurt or if the rabbit was just being stubborn and refusing to admit any pain.

As Minnie played the scene out again in her head – Mickey calling the girl's name, Mickey hugging the girl, Mickey just looking so happy to see her – there was the sound of footsteps, and both prisoners looked up the see Goofy, leaning over them, cheerful as always. Keys in hand, he unlocked the cell door, and then stepped backward. "Time ta join the party, folks! Just follow me!" As if they were late guests instead of prisoners! He pocketed the keys, and began to walk. Minnie and Oswald exchanged looks, but got to their feet, the chains on their ankles and wrists clinking and clanking as they made their way out.

When they arrived on the upper deck, the party was still in process, and the room reeked of rum and smoke. The first thing that Minnie spotted was the pair directly in the middle of the room, Mickey finishing off the verse to a bawdy song, one hand with a glass filled with spilling alcohol, his other arm around Ortensia's waist. The knot tightened to an excruciatingly hard degree, nearly ready to snap. As her hands clenched and unclenched, the captain spotted the arrivals, and let go of the cat to walk over, though Ortensia was at his heels to follow. "There they are! How is me girl doin'?"

"I could be better." Minnie's tone was a supposed air of indifference, raising her nose in the air as she extended her arms forward, showing that she was still cuffed.

Mickey clicked his tongue, and then snapped his fingers towards Goofy. The dog understood the commands, taking the keys out once more to unlock all of the restraints on the mouse and the rabbit. Minnie rubbed her wrists, while Oswald was, still, oddly silent. Ever since she had first met him, she had known the rabbit to be a loud-mouth, complaining a lot about this and that, including his sheer, utter hatred for Mickey. Minnie was grateful for the silence, as it also meant he'd stop fake-flirting with her just to piss off Mickey. Oswald merely stared hard at Ortensia, expression unreadable. She didn't appear to notice.

Mickey took a quick drink before speaking again. "That's better… now, then, time ta get us all acquainted like. Ortensia, this is me wife, Minnie - "

"I am not your wife." Minnie cut in, as she always did, even though it always proved to do little good.

"And Minnie," he continued, as if he hadn't heard his girl, gesturing back towards the cat. "This is me little sister, Ortensia."

"Little sister?" Minnie and Oswald gaped at the same time, startled by this sudden revelation. Oswald broke his unannounced vow of silence by going even further. "You can't be related! She's a cat, and you're a mouse!"

"Rich boy's got a working pair of eyes, good fer 'im." Ortensia rolled her eyes, taking out a small file and attending to her nails. "We may not be siblings by blood, but we're just as good. We be family by soul."

Mickey looped an arm around Minnie's shoulders, and she allowed it for now. "See, when I was but a wee little lad, I kinda took Ortensia here under me wing. I taught her everything I knew, made sure ta keep her out of trouble… cute as a button, she was."

"Was?" Ortensia smirked at her 'sibling', but let him continue.

"I was her teacher, her friend… we ruled that little town we lived in. But the skies and the seas were callin', and I knew I couldn't stay there ferever." He emptied his glass, and then chucked it behind him. "So when I got enough gold, I was out and ready ta make the world me own. But I promised me little sister I'd write ta her all the time, and that I did do."

"And that's just why I'm here." Ortensia finished, and then fished out a small parch of paper from a small satchel hanging off her shoulder. "That last letter ye sent me had me all worried. What's all this about gettin' hitched to some N.A.V.Y. girl?"

Whatever relief Minnie felt at knowing the two were siblings and nothing else, it was diminished by that paper, and she made a grab for it, glaring at the amorous pirate at her side. "What have you been telling people about me?"

He held up a flat palm in response. "Nothin' but the honest truth, turtldove."

Ortensia snatched the paper right back, and read it out loud. "Dear Ortensia, I hope ye've been doin' well. Ye ought to know that soon ye'll be gettin' a sister-in-law, fer yer big brother has finally found the one. A lil' while ago, I was snatched up by the N.A.V.Y., and set ta be hung, but while I was waitin' fer the angel o' death, what I got was a different sort of angel."

"Oh, brother." Oswald mumbled under his breath, and Minnie's cheeks were starting to redden.

"Love at first sight exists, fer the moment we saw each other, we knew we had ta have one another-"

"That's a lie and you know it!" Minnie finally shrugged off Mickey's arm, hands on her hips. "We fought the first time we met! We were trying to stab each other!"

Ortensia went on, undeterred. "Each day that passed in waitin', we fell harder and harder. When the day came fer me to meet Davy Jones, me sweet little Mins knew she couldn't bare ta have me gone, and helped me escape - "

"You tricked me into unlocking the cage!" Minnie was now shrieking, fists tightly wound. "You pretended to be choking, that's why I opened the door!"

"And since that day, we have been drawn ta each other, with the spirited miss always chasing after me fer more hugs and kisses-"

"_I've been trying to arrest you!_" Minnie's hands were aching to strangle the liar.

"So I expect the weddin' by next year, when she quits the N.A.V.Y. and becomes me newest crew member. I want a good gift and toast at the reception. Luv, Mick." Finished, Ortensia rolled the paper back up, looking at her brother, whose shirt was being clenched by a very angry private.

"Nothing but the honest truth?" Minnie hissed, nearly toppling Mickey over as she leaned forward.

He waved his hand, a little bit afraid of her wrath. "May have exaggerated a smidgen."

Returning the paper to her satchel, Ortensia raised an eyebrow as she spoke skeptically. "I came here ta see just what kind of girl was tryin' ta go after me brother, and make sure she's the right one fer him. Me brother only deserves the best kind, ye know."

"I have absolutely no interest in marrying your brother." Minnie let Mickey go, crossing her arms. "He failed to mention I'm already engaged!"

Ortensia looked at Mickey for confirmation, and the pirate shrugged one shoulder. "Minor detail."

"Can't help but be thinkin' the lass wants nothing to do with you, Mick." Ortensia jabbed a thumb towards the other female. "Which is just as well… from what I've seen, she ain't good enough fer ye anyway."

Minnie had been nodding along with Ortensia, until that last sentence came out. Her head quickly jerked toward the cat, pride wounded. "Excuse me?"

The feline met her eyes, starting off with a haughty snort before explaining. "I said, yer not good enough fer my brother. Too small, too scrawny, too weak… I saw ye out there when we raided the rabbit's ship, ye couldn't even put up a good enough fight against some weak little men."

"I was doing my job." Minnie glowered, her rage now directed at a new target, and gestured with one hand towards Oswald. "It was my duty to protect Lord Oswald, and I've been doing a fine job of that!"

"Real fine!" Ortensia laughed with a hard shake of her head. "Yer our prisoners, in case that slipped yer mind! Yer just a lil girl in her mama's big girl outfit, aint cha?"

"I am a real N.A.V.Y. woman!" With that, Minnie grabbed Oswald's arm, and forced him forward. "Tell her, Lord Oswald! I've been doing a great job protecting you, haven't I?"

Oswald grumbled again, and then smoothed down his clothes. "I have nothing to say to you," he addressed Minnie, and then to Mickey "Nor you. But…" Now his gaze was back upon Ortensia, lips nearly twitching, something impatient and emotional was brewing. Perhaps being beaten by a female pirate had done a bigger damage to his ego than Minnie first thought. "You, I do have something to say!"

Ortensia's lips curled, looking deeply amused. Minnie privately noted – while swatting Mickey's hand off of her tail – that the cat and the rabbit were rather alike. Both were incredibly snooty and thought their opinions were better than those around them. Even the way they were glaring at each other seemed to carry a similarity. "And what's that?" Ortensia asked, readying herself for another good laugh.

Oswald looked her up and down, then nodded to himself… and then clasped one of Ortensia's hands in both of his own, and said in a tone that was a strange mixture of happiness and seriousness, "Marry me."

There was an explosion of silence, as suddenly every single crew member stopped what they were doing to whip around and look at the pair. Even Mickey had stopped trying to get his arms around his beloved, choosing to look upon his sister and the noble. Such an impossible statement it was, that Minnie would have been sure she merely imagined it, had not the shocked look of Ortensia confirmed it was the truth. The quiet continued on, as if expecting Oswald to explain the prank he had just pulled, until the cat, face now pale as a washed skeleton, managed to croak a word out. "What?"

"Marry me." He said again, somehow not seeing what was so surprising about this demand. In fact, he was leaning in towards her as she leaned back, eyes shining, and a gigantic smile plastered on his face. "I've loved you from the first moment I met you! You're everything I ever wanted from a woman! Even your name is perfect! Oh, Ortensiaaaaaa!"As he leaned in for a kiss with the extended vowel, Ortensia lashed out, slapping his other cheek.

She wildly looked at her brother and his woman, flustered. "What is this loony goin' on about?"

"I'm going on about marriage, darling!" The slap hadn't stopped him any, though it had brought him to his knees. To make up for this, he was now hugging her waist, oblivious to how utterly ridiculous he was looking. "You and me, together forever! I'd be the happiest man alive!"

The stupor was beginning to wear off on the observers, as made evident when Mickey, growling, came up to the rabbit and began kicking him to the back. "Hey! Get yer paws off me sister! Who says I'd even let ye marry her!"

Oswald refused to let go, despite the kicks, and despite Ortensia's shoving. "I don't need your permission, rat!"

"What about me permission?" Ortensia yowled, taking off her satchel, ready to use it as a weapon.

Minnie calmly watched the situation unfold, feeling an uncanny familiarity toward it. "Oswald, are you just doing this to annoy Mickey?" After all, that was the reason behind Oswald pretending to be interested in Minnie, and also one of his sole purposes in life.

"He's got nothing to do with it." The rabbit still managed to ignore Mickey yanking on his leg, as the aristocrat took one of Ortensia's arms, giving it kisses up and down. "This is all about me and my sweetheart!"

"I NEVER SAID I WAS YER SWEETHEART!" Ortensia smacked him with her satchel with each word.

"GET OFF ME SISTER!" Mickey resorted to tugging on Oswald's ears to try and wrench him off.

Minnie then came to a realization as she watched the tug and forth continue. "Oh, no." She rubbed her temples as she reluctantly stated what she thought out loud. "This is me and Mickey all over again!"

Hearing his name, and dodging a backwards kick from the rabbit, Mickey wagged a finger towards the private. "I dunno what ye been drinkin', turtledove, but this is totally dif'rent! Ours is the real deal, the destined from the stars sort of deal! This bunny boy is a just a bouncy bugger!"

"Ours is more real than anything you've got!" Oswald retorted, holding onto his unwilling bride for dear life. "We're meant to be together! I've known it since our eyes locked!"

"Ye mean when I was cuttin' up yer face!" Ortensia snarled, baring her cat claws at her unwanted suitor. "Those ears will be comin' right off if ye don't knock it off!"

"Oh, Ortensia, you're so fierce!"The rabbit sighed in a heavenly matter, happily pressing his face into her side.

"LEGGO, LEGGO, LEGGO!"

"GET! OFF! ME! SISTER!"

Minnie felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see Goofy sympathetically offering a bottle of rum. She glanced back to the bickering strangeness, and then decided to take the bottle. She had a feeling she was going to need it, though she didn't drink it right away. Goofy smiled kindly at her, and nodded his head away. "Don't ye worry none, we ain't really holdin' ye prisoner." He led her to a small table, where an old radio had been set up. "We'll get ye home in a jiffy. How about we listen ta some news?"

"I think I'd like that." Minnie welcomed the distraction, taking a seat the table. The other pirates had resumed their own drunken partying, ignoring the squabbling. Pete was lumped in a corner, tending to his wounded pride.

Goofy played around with the radio buttons and dials, until he found a good frequency. He eased back into his seat as the news came on, letting his feet rest on the table. Minnie watched him, still debating whether to drink from the bottle or not. He looked like he didn't have a trouble in the world, and was one of the cheeriest pirates she had ever known. It looked like nothing could shake him.

"And we have astounding news concerning the royal family." The radio announcer chirped. "Prince Edward has found his bride on the exact day he said he would start looking for her. Tomorrow, all of England will be witness to the marriage of Prince Edward and Millicent Manchester!"

Goofy fell backwards in his chair and right onto the floor. As he scrambled to get up, Minnie was already standing. "Millie? Millie is getting married to Prince Edward?"

"That can't be!" Goofy got to his feet, grabbing the radio and shaking it, as it was the actual news reporter. "Millie can't be marryin' him! What's he done ta her? H-how can this be happenin'?" The dog who seconds ago looked like not even an earthquake could shake him now was on the verge of tears. "Millie! I, I gotta do somethin'! She can't marry him!" The other pirates quieted down to hear Goofy's anguished howls, and Oswald had finally been shut up by stuffing Ortensia's satchel in his mouth. "M-M-Millie!"

Mickey walked to his distressed friend, patting him on the back. "Somethin' tells me we ain't got all the facts about him and yer girlfriend."

Goofy paused in his radio assault, and looked down at Mickey. "How did ye figure Millie was me girl?"

Mickey stopped patting. "… Ye didn't honestly think ye were keepin' a secret, did ye? Anytime ye were veer asked if ye had a girl, ye stammered and stuttered and denied it ta high heaven. Everyone on board knows about ye havin' a N.A.V.Y. girl."

Minnie thought to herself that perhaps Goofy and Millie did deserve each other after all. "That aside… I know Millie, she's very loyal. There's no way she'd marry anyone else willingly… I hate to say it, but Mickey's right, we don't have all the facts."

Mickey looked at the radio, thoughts forming along with a smile. "Then let's get 'em! Boys… and me sister… let's put on our Sunday best, cause we're goin' ta a weddin'!"

**End Of Chapter Ten.**


	11. I Do Versus Do Not

Thanks as always to my perfect editor, Lies!

* * *

><p>Night had fallen on Mickey's ship, but Minnie couldn't sleep. She had been offered a chance to sleep wherever she pleased, with Mickey's eyebrows wiggling in hopes of her choosing a certain captain's quarters, but Minnie had decided to spend the night wandering the ship. Oswald had been thrown back into the cells alongside Mortimer. Minnie was still upset about the 'floozy' comment Mortimer had made, and so she avoided the cells for the time being. She wasn't sure just what she wanted to do this night.<p>

Of course she had objected to barging in on the wedding, and of course her efforts went ignored. While she did agree that the entire affair between Millicent and Edward was fishy, there had to be better ways to get to the bottom of this problem than crashing the event. But what could Minnie do about it? She couldn't escape the ship, nor could she find a way to warn anyone ahead of time. As she wandered, her frustrations built up and she became angrier and angrier.

Eventually she was outside, walking quietly on the deck, when she spotted Goofy leaning against the mast, a half empty bottle of rum in one hand. He was forlornly looking at the starry sky, and didn't realize Minnie was nearby until she cleared her throat. He smiled at her but the expression was weak. He slid down until he was sitting so they were somewhat eye to eye. Minnie was the first one to speak. "So, you really intend to stop this wedding."

"Sure do." He nodded slowly, offering Minnie the bottle but she shook her head. "I know Millie woulda never agreed ta it. We made a promise ta marry each other and she's never broken a promise befer."

"You made that promise when you were children." Minnie crossed her arms. Without Millicent around, perhaps she could better cross-examine this dog. "You didn't even understand what you were doing. Maybe Millie doesn't want to marry the prince, but why should she be forced to marry you just because of a pinky promise?"

Goofy had just been about to take another drink when the question was launched. He paused, bottle almost to his lips, and his eyes became sadder. "… Ye don't like me much, do ye?"

"I'm just stating the facts." Minnie began to count the facts on her fingers. "She's a high ranking woman of the N.A.V.Y. , and you're a pirate with a huge bounty on his head. By continuing this relationship, you keep putting her in danger. Do you have any idea what would happen to her if this gets found out? Treason isn't just a slap on the wrist!"

Goofy hugged his knees, almost looking like a child being disciplined. "We know that. It's why we kept it a secret… tried ta, anyway. I don't want ta get Millie inta any kinda trouble."

"Then why do this?" Minnie leaned in, glaring as she was able to let some of her frustrations out. "Why keep pursuing this… this hopeless love when you know nothing good can come out of it? You're chasing someone you can't have! You and she are only putting yourselves at risk, and there isn't going to be a happy ending no matter what happens! Either you get caught and are put to death, or she gets caught with you and you die together!" She didn't realize how loud she was getting as she was losing sight of just exactly who and about what she was yelling about. "She loves someone who may as well be already dead! You're only going to hurt her! Why are you doing this?" She grabbed Goofy by the arm, demanding an answer she wasn't even prepared for. "Why?"

Goofy didn't answer right away, instead allowing Minnie to take some deep breaths to calm down. When he felt it was safe enough to reply, he swallowed. "… I'm gunna die anyway…" His voice was slow and careful. "… So I wanna live every day like it could be me last… And if I was set ta die tomorra… then I wanna die fer the one person I luv most." Minnie frowned, so Goofy added a little more. "I do luv her, lass. I luv Millie, just as much as Mickey luvs ye."

"Oh, don't bring him into this." Minnie grumbled, looking away at the mention of that bothersome captain's name. "We're talking about you and Millie. I'm trying to help my friend, but you just want to doom her from the start."

"Right and wrong, missy."

Goofy and Minnie's heads turned to who had just spoken, and Ortensia emerged from the shadows. Her black fur made for excellent stealth so Minnie couldn't be sure how long the cat had been hidden. Minnie was very sure that she still didn't care for Ortensia and so her frown only deepened. "How am I wrong?"

Ortensia was filing her nails again, wanting to keep them sharp for the next time Oswald pounced on her. "It was doomed from the start, but it wasn't his fault." She sat beside Goofy, and after some hesitance Minnie sat in front of them. "He was doomed since birth. So was Pete, so was Mickey, so was I. We were born pirates."

"Now that's just ridiculous." Minnie huffed as she smoothed down her uniform. "No one is born a pirate, it's a choice. I heard it from Clarabelle… she, Millicent, and Horace grew up in the same neighborhood as Goofy, Pete, and that Peggy woman and they didn't turn out to be pirates."

"That's cause of their folks, and their money." Ortensia stared at Goofy, mentally imploring him to fill in the gaps of the story.

He looked uncomfortable to do so but relented. "… Millie's pa was a member of the A.R.M.Y. befer he was killed by pirates. Her ma was given alotta money as compensation. Clarabelle and Horace's parents were farmers and they managed to rake in alotta money too. But me folks were poor as ye could get. So were Pete and Peggy's."

Minnie felt something twist in her stomach but refused to acknowledge it. "So what? Being poor automatically made you a pirate?"

Ortensia took over the storytelling. "Only the ones who want to live. Our folks couldn't afford to send us to no fancy schools, so we got no education. And then when it comes to legal jobs, it's all about what yer folks did and who they were. No one wants ye if ye ain't smart and if ye ain't from a good family. Then the years go, and yer an adult, and yer nothin' but a burden on yer folks now. So ye gotta steal food in order to live, gotta keep movin' so ye don't get caught, and what ye steal gets bigger and bigger…" She waved her hand in a circle. "… And what happens when yer the child of a pirate?" Goofy flinched but kept quiet. "No one will take ye in, no one will want ye, yer expected to take up the helm of yer old man. We are doomed from the start, but not because we wanted to be." Her throat was dry from the explanation so she swiped Goofy's bottle and took a good long drink. "… Course, that's just one of the reasons ye ain't right fer me Mickey."

Minnie decided to launch onto that train of thought before the moral ways of life she had been taught would shatter in her mind. "I've been trying to tell you, I want nothing to do with Mickey except to arrest him!"

Ortensia pulled the bottle back. "And I want what's best for me brother. Whatever ye've been tryin' to do to get him off yer back, it ain't working. Ye need to get it through to him that bein' with ye is just not good fer him."

Minnie jabbed a thumb to Goofy. "And why aren't you telling him that about Millie?"

Ortensia handed the bottle back to him. "He's hopeless on his own." Goofy smiled despite the insult. "Ye and Mickey are rotten fer a whole different reason."

"And what's that reason?" Not that Minnie cared, because she certainly didn't. She didn't like Ortensia, and felt insulted that she wouldn't be considered good enough to be with Mickey. Impossibilities aside, it should have been the other way around. Mickey wasn't good enough for Minnie.

Ortensia shifted and held her knees. "Ye know who ye remind him of?"

"I knew it!" Minnie pointed an accusing finger to Ortensia. "He has had other girlfriends before me! Clarabelle and Daisy were right!"

"Naw, naw." Goofy drained the last of the bottle. "Mickey ain't ever had a girl befer. He ain't ever shown a fancy ta any girl. Yer still the first."

"Not fer lack of tryin'." Ortensia grumbled, wringing the file in her hands. That got confused looks from both Minnie and Goofy. "… Mickey's as dumb as a sack a bricks when it comes to knowin' when women want him. Even if a girl dressed up in the tightest dress she had and laid out on his bed like a harlot on the streets, he wouldn't bat an eye." That only got more confusion, and Ortensia rolled her eyes as she was forced to make it clearer for the two. "… And I'm speakin' from experience."

Goofy still was at a loss, but Minnie clued in, and she scooted backwards as she shrieked. "What? Y-y-you tried to seduce Mickey? But you're like siblings!"

"That's more on his end than mine." Ortensia ground her teeth as she focused all of her own frustrations back on Minnie. "I tried to make him mine fer years, but all I ever got was a pat on the head. No matter what I did, he never got an idea about how I felt. He just couldn't see me as anythin' more than his little sister. And there's only one reason yer so different!"

Minnie shrugged off a small sense of smug pride. Ortensia had every right to be jealous. Not that Minnie cared about Mickey at all, as she would mentally state ad infinity, but it was Ortensia who didn't deserve Mickey. "And what would that be? Who do I remind him of?"

Ortensia met Minnie's eyes. "His ma. You have her eyes."

Minnie snorted and was about to rant about Ortensia's desperate delusions, but then she saw Goofy whose eyes were wide. He almost looked a little afraid, as if they had suddenly landed on forbidden territory. This wasn't a joke or some petty bout of jealousy, so Minnie kept quiet and allowed Ortensia to go on.

Ortensia clicked her nails together. "He doesn't talk about her to anyone but who he really trusts. He'd give me a good yell if he found out I told ye. But ye gotta know. His ma…" She sighed, and leaned on the mast. "… She was beautiful and kind… but she was also a harlot." She paused to let the word sink in that it was not a throwaway description like before, but the actual literal meaning. "When she accidentally got pregnant, she decided to keep the kid… the one good thing she had in life, the one person who would actually need her. She gave up the business and tried to make a decent livin' fer 'im. I only met the woman once, and I can still remember her eyes." She closed her eyes as the memories became darker. "… One day, one of her… former payers… came back, wantin' another round. When she said no, he ended her, right in front of Mickey."

Minnie found she couldn't breathe. She looked to Goofy for confirmation, and he hung his head low in sadness. The twist in her stomach stretched throughout her entire body, taking over her lungs and her air. Ortensia slowly opened her eyes. "… That's why Mickey doesn't kill. That's why he doesn't want girls on his ship. And that's why he's doin' all of this fer ye. Ye remind him of her, and he doesn't want to lose her again."

Minnie did not want to speak but her mouth had ideas of its own. "… How… I mean… are you sure?" No matter how many gulps of air she took it wasn't enough to satisfy her lungs. The moral dilemmas and histories were proving to be too much for her to handle. She felt ill, and struggled to stand up. Her balance felt off, and she wouldn't look at either pirate. "I'm… I'm going to go sleep." Each step she took made her dizzier, but she still managed to make her way around the ship.

Goofy looked to Ortensia, turning the now empty bottle back and forth. "Cap'n ain't gunna like this."

Ortensia watched Minnie leave. "What he doesn't know won't hurt 'im." Goofy wondered if Ortensia was revealing such information to truly help Mickey, or to ward Minnie off from what Ortensia felt was rightfully hers. It bothered Goofy too much to think about, and he had enough worries. He gazed at the stars, and tried to imagine Millie in her wedding dress. It made him smile.

* * *

><p>Nancy Tremaine felt very privileged in that she was allowed to interview the Prince's future bride the morning of the wedding. However, in the hours she had spent in the palace's guest room with Millie, the most she had learned was –<p>

"I don't wanna marry hiiiiim!" Millle bawled again, sobbing on her bed and kicking her feet. It was wrinkling her snow white wedding gown but it was obvious she could care less about that. She hugged a pillow close to her chest and rolled back and forth on the bed. "I don't wannaaaaaaaa!"

"Yeah, I got that." Nancy put down her paper and pen, rubbing her temples as the whining continued. "Miss Manchester, why in the world are you so upset? Prince Edward is handsome and kind…"

"But I don't love him!" Millie sat up, sniffling as she faced Nancy. "And he won't listen to me! He just says I have cold feet! All my feet want to do is run away from here!"

Nancy sat up in her chair, still determined to wring out Millie's real reasons for reluctance. "What makes you think you won't grow to love him? All you've done ever since the engagement the other day is say you 'don't want to', but you won't give anyone a real reason why."

"I think not loving him is a very good reason." Millie let her feet dangle off the bed, watching the floor with downcast eyes.

Nancy picked up her pen and pointed it right at Millie. "Miss Manchester… is there another man in your life?"

Millie jerked so roughly in response to the question that she fell off the bed. She quickly sat back up, face bright red, and she tugged down on her veil to hide her face. "A-a-another man? What? Me? Noooo. No no no! Th-th-that's such a silly… I don't have a boyfriend! I don't know where you're getting any idea that I'd have a b-b-boyfreind!"

Nancy started to believe this interview was going to go a lot quicker and smoother now that she knew Millicent was such a horrible liar. "I'll take that as a yes. From the sound of it, you're mad for this other guy, which is why you can't even fathom loving Edward."

Millie squeaked, and buried her face in the pillow. "M-m-m-mad? Noooooo! I'm not! There's no one! I can't! Ooooh!"

Nancy chewed on her pen as she thought out loud. "What an interesting twist… the only thing that could make this story better is if the other guy actually shows up." Millie quietly looked up from the pillow. "You know, like in the plays and books, the girl's just about to marry the wrong guy, and the priest says if anyone has any objections, and then the other guy bursts in!" She smacked her hand on her notebook pad to add to the zeal.

Millie's cheeks continued to turn vibrant colors as she imagined such a scenario. She honestly hadn't figured a way out of the wedding yet and had hoped a way would show itself to her. The romance of Nancy's imagination appealed to Millie, and she clung tighter to her pillow at the thought of it. Her dashing Goofy, her knight in shining armor, bursting into the palace to sweep her away! "Oh my…" Her voice took on a dreamy quality. "…Does that kind of thing really happen?"

Nancy shrugged. "The priest says it for a reason. So who is this other guy, and how come you haven't mentioned him before?"

Millie was lost in thoughts of her wonderful Goofy picking her up and carrying her off into the unset before she realized she was still being spoken to. She looked away, eyes screwed shut. "Th-th-there isn't anybody! Nobody's g-g-g-going to interrupt the wedding! No one is going to run inside and take me away to be his l-l-lover! Absolutely nobody and no one will s-s-save me!"

Nancy bit her lower lip, thinking she had been so close to getting the answer, but now it seemed like they were just going in circles. "I guess it'll still be pretty exciting even if it doesn't happen… but if it did, I think I might feel a little sorry for his highness." Nancy reasoned to herself that if she were in Millie's shoes, there wouldn't be an ounce of hesitation in her step. Some girls were just lucky.

* * *

><p>The ballroom of the palace had been decorated and transformed into a makeshift chapel, with pews moved in and a staged altar built overnight. Edward and the royal family had spared no expense in turning their home into the perfect wedding location. Horace and Clarabelle were in the back of the room watching the guests fill up the seats, but overnight they gotten a third military member to join them. Daisy stood in between them, relaying the news she had gotten since Millie's engagement. "… So they searched the entire zoo, but they couldn't find Minnie, Mortimer, or Lord Oswald. No one knows where they are."<p>

"I'm sure they're all right." Clarabelle rubbed her arms in an effort to make her body calm and convince herself of her own words. "Poor Minnie, though… seems like lately she just can't stay out of trouble, no matter what she does. If you ask me, it's all Captain Mickey's fault."

"No argument here." Daisy kept her eyes on the guests. "We've got to work harder and arrest him before he wrecks her life any further. At least Millie's set for life now and we don't have to worry about her any longer."

"Here comes the prince!" Horace stopped the conversation, and the three of them saluted at once. They were the only members of the military present, with the rest of the security being handled by the professionally trained guards of the palace. Everyone rose in attention as Edward entered, forgoing the traditional black and white tuxedo for one of vibrant purple and gold with a flowing cape that was probably longer than the bride's dress. His loyal servant Nathanial was right beside him, and the two took their time to wave at the crowd as they made their way forward. Clarabelle spotted Nancy scrambling to blend into the crowd, but aside from her and the music playing from the old organ in the corner, everything was quiet.

Once Edward was at the altar it was obvious why they chose this place to hold the wedding. The windows of the ballroom were stained glass masterpieces, and as the sun shone through them their colors danced around Edward, highlighting his handsome features. It was so beautiful that it was over the top and almost bordered on the ridiculous. The music paused, and then swelled again, as everyone turned once more to see the bride enter. Millicent was dressed in an elegant white, and her long dress was the stuff little girls dreamt off. Her face was the exact opposite, still drenched in tears and as miserable as a dog in the rain. She was literally dragging her heels as she walked with her head lowered as teardrops fell onto her multicolored bouquet.

Clarabelle and Daisy noted they didn't want to catch the bouquet from such a sad looking bride. Horace knew he was supposed to be quiet during the ceremony, but a sound was catching his ears, and he whispered to his female friends. "Do you hear something?" Daisy and Clarabelle stopped their salute and put their hands to their ears to listen in. It was very faint, but there was definitely something rumbling somewhere. It was becoming louder as the seconds passed, and then a dark shadow blocked the sunlight over Edward. He didn't even have time to mention, "Oh, this doesn't look good." before the big disaster struck.

The windows were shattered by the front of a large flying ship, and Clarabelle, Daisy, and Millicent instantly recognized it as belonging to Mickey. The ship slowed down to a halt before any further damage to the palace could be done, so only the front part of the ship was wedged inside. In the shocked silence, a faint voice on the ship could be heard. "Gosh darn it, Pete!" The trio of girls instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Mickey as well. "That's the last time I let ye drive!"

People in the pews began to scream in fright, climbing over each other to get out of the ballroom. One body jumped from the ship, and landed in the middle of the aisle, though he stumbled as he tried to get his footing. It was Goofy who managed to catch his balance, and as he looked to see exactly which part of the wedding he stopped, he groaned in disappointment. "Aw, we came too early! I wanted ta do the 'objection' thing! That's the best part!"

Clarabelle, Daisy, and Horace were ready to swoop in and fight, but the continuous crowd of escapees blocked their path. They became terrified over what would happen to their dear friend Millie, but Millie had gone from sobs to squeals of delight. "Ooooh, no!" She exhaled deeply, eyes shining with hope. "How terrible! Pirates! This is just awful! Woe is me!" Each supposed outcry was joined with a bounce of her heels.

Other pirates began leaping from the ship, ready to tear the palace apart in their pilfering, but Goofy didn't pay them any mind. His eyes stayed on Millie, and he ran to her side, smiling brightly. "Gosh, yer purdy." He murmured, taking a good look at her. "I could just kidnap ye right here and now."

"You brute." Millie timidly held up the bouquet to hide some of her face as she returned his smile in full. "Don't you dare lay a hand on me." At the 'request', Goofy lifted Millie's veil over her head, gazing lovingly into her clear eyes. Anyone who saw them in this moment would have to be incredibly dense not to realize how they felt about each other.

Prince Edward saw them in that moment and assumed the worst. "That pirate is trying to steal my bride!" He thrust an arm towards his servant. "Nathanial, my sword!" The shorter man complied before running off to join the crowd of panicked people. Edward overdramatically pulled put his sword, and almost tripped on his own cape as he ran down the altar. "I'll save you, Millicent!"

The lovers were snapped out of their reunion, and Goofy managed to pull out his own blade and whip around just in time to block Edward's blow. As prince and pirate began their duel, Millicent fidgeted back and forth in place, trying to figure out how to help Goofy without revealing their real relationship. "Oooh, ooh… uh, careful! Watch out!" She managed to thwack Edward upside the head with her bouquet and cheerfully added "Oops, missed!" right after it.

Clarabelle had always thought her height made her unappealing as a woman, but now it was giving her advantage as she could see over the vanishing crowd. Things were only getting worse, and while the guards were putting up a worthy fight against the pirates, there were other calamites happening. "Daisy, go after Nancy!" She and Daisy began to take out their pistols, and Clarabelle used hers to point at Nancy who was using a rope hanging from the ship to climb aboard. "That fool is climbing on the ship! I'll go after the priest, it looks like they're kidnapping him!" The white and gray owl priest at the altar was being wrapped up in strange metal coils belonging to Mickey's infamous yo-yo. "Horace, you leave with the crowd!"

While Daisy ran to do her assignment, Horace grabbed Clarabelle by the arm angrily. "Wait a minute! I can't leave, you need all the help you can get!"

Clarabelle shook off his arm. "You're a mechanic, you're not a combat soldier! Now get out of here!" Ignoring Horace calling her name, Clarabelle ran into the battle, fighting any pirate who got in her way. Horace's fists clenched, and he resorted to the only weapon he had on his belt, a large wrench that was almost as big as his arm. He'd show her, he wasn't useless! He was part of the A.R.M.Y., and it was their duty to protect people by fighting pirates. He too ran into the growing battle, slugging any pirate he saw across the head with his wrench.

The brute strategy worked for a few brief moments, until he tried to crack the wrench across the head of a large mechanical cat he didn't recognize until it was too late. Horace stepped back as Pete turned around and the childhood friends recognized each other instantly. Horace had managed to crack Pete's mechanical eye, but his real eye had more than enough contempt to make up for it. "Horace Horsecollar." His voice dripped with amusement as he towered over the shaking horse. "Still tryin' ta play the hero, even after all this time?"

Horace swallowed down his fear, branding his wench forward. "I'm not tryin' ta be a hero! But yer goin' out of yer way to be a real villain…" He jumped forward, determined to knock out the same man who he had once played kickball with as a child.

On the ship there were few people left, and Mickey was one of them, trying to pull up the priest by his yo-yo. He only stopped when Minnie kicked him in the rear and yelled shrilly in his ear. "What in the world do you think you're doing?"

Mickey glanced behind him and rubbed his sore backside. "Well, long as we got one of these fella's around, ye and I can finally tie the knot, all official like! Lemme just reel him up and then we can get to the honeymoon."

That earned him another kick to the rear with even louder yelling. "Mickey, you put that holy man down this instant!" Mickey grumbled, but complied, pressing a button on his yo-yo to retract the metal string. Minnie then tried to climb over the ship's railing. "Now I have to get down there and make sure Goofy and Millie don't expose themselves!"

"Aw, c'mon!"Mickey grabbed Minnie's arm gently, trying to tug her back on the ship. "Can't ye stay a little longer? We didn't even get ta sing one sea shanty tagether!"

"Oh, let her go." Ortensia leaned on the railings besides Mickey. "She's not doin' us any good here"

Minnie exchanged a quick look with Ortensia, muscles tightening. The information about Mickey's mother weighed heavily on her mind, and she slowly looked to oblivious Mickey. Minnie tried to wriggle her arm loose from Mickey's grasp. "… She's right. This is the last time I'll say it, Mickey. We're enemies. I'm not your wife, your girlfriend, your anything. The next time we meet, I'm going to arrest you." Her warning lost the strength she intended to say it with and instead came with a shaky uneasiness.

Mickey caught the changed tone, and when Minnie tried to climb down one of the ropes hanging off the ship, he touched her hand. "Hey, now… what's the matter? Ye don't sound right." He gently rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand.

Minnie avoided his eyes, not wanting him to look into the replacement of his mother. "Mickey, I have to go."

"At least lemme have a goodbye kiss, turtledove!" Mickey bent himself over the railings and even went tippy toe on his foot, trying to push his lips forward.

Ortensia hissed and bent over as well, flicking her miniature knives in one hand. "She said go, so let her go!" She swung her hand in an attempt to cut Minnie's rope off and send her dropping. Minnie yelped and swung out of the way, but a rope was still cut. It wasn't Minnie's, but someone was still on it. Ortensia paused, looking at who she sent plummeting. "… Uh-oh."

Down below, Goofy and Edward's swashbuckling battle had moved both bodies under the ship, neither of them about to give up. Edward's part of the battle was overly flashy as he insisted on throwing his cape back every time he moved his blade. "Villainous fiend!" He loudly declared as they moved on the broken glass. "I won't let such a filthy degenerate take away my one true love!"

"I ain't filthy!" Goofy retorted as he jabbed his weapon forward. "I took a bath this mornin'!" He wanted to smell nice and fresh when he saw Millie again.

Edward backed up several spaces, trying to think of a winning strategy while also keeping his good looks out of harm's way. Maybe if he could intimidate this scoundrel, the battle would be won. He held out his arms, and spoke as loudly as he could to be heard among all the fights. "Good will always triumph over evil! It will be this day my one true love and I shall be united forever more!"

Nathanial, who was hiding under an overturned pew, crossed his fingers. "Don't sing, don't sing, don't…"

Edward started to sing. "_I've been dreaming of_- "

This time his song was cut off by another falling woman, as Nancy had been the one who suffered from Ortensia's knife fury. She landed in his arms and her force was enough to make him sit on the ground. After they got over their bout of dizziness, Edward and Nancy looked at each other. Edward's eyes widened, and he dropped his sword to gently touch Nancy's cheek. "Fair maiden… are you all right?"

Nancy blushed and grinned. "No one's ever called me fair before!"

"I can't imagine why not." Edward cradled her gently in his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Why, you're the fairest maiden I've ever laid eyes upon. You're astonishing."

"Oh, your highness." Nancy giggled, suddenly feeling ten times younger.

"Please, call me Edward." He held her hand, and they grasped their fingers together firmly. Anyone who saw them in this moment would have to be incredibly dense not to realize how they felt about each other.

Millie had been watching the fight this entire time, and while this was a great relief, she couldn't help but feel insulted too. She looked at Goofy, who shrugged in response. Millie shook her head and slid off the ring on her finger, and dismissively threw it in the air, glad to be rid of it. Goofy reached out to catch it, and he dropped it inside of his jacket. He winked at Millie, who giggled in turn. It was this sight that caught Minnie's attention as she finally managed to climb down from the ship, and it brought life to her frustrations again. Why did they have to look so happy when their relationship was doomed to fail? Why were they trying so hard to get something they couldn't have? What if Goofy was using Millicent to replace someone too?

Her internal woes were set aside when she saw something tossed in the air and ready to land on her. Assuming it was either a weapon or someone's stolen property Minnie launched herself at the object and swiftly caught it in her hands. The object turned out to be Millie's bouquet, recklessly tossed aside. Minnie held her breath at the implication of what she caught, and for a split second, she could see herself in Millie's gown and Mickey in a smashing tuxedo. Shrieking at the image, she tossed the bouquet, and this time it was caught by Nancy, who happily giggled. Daisy had managed to fight off enough pirates to finally get to Nancy, and seeing that she was fine, she went to Minnie. "I heard you yell, are you okay?"

Minnie quickly brushed any remaining petals off of her uniform. "I'm not exactly in the mood to talk about it." Why couldn't her heart and her common sense agree on anything? She know knew the reason why Mickey went after her, and yet her mind still produced that image. What was wrong with her?

Clarabelle was still surrounded by no less than five pirates, though her temper was calm. This was a routine fight, and she only needed a few more minutes to handle everyone around her. As she kicked another pirate out of her way, however, Clarabelle saw to her horror that Pete and Horace were engaged in their own fight. As she watched them, the entire world around her slowed down as she helplessly saw Pete punch Horace hard in the chest, with such force that he turned backwards. Horace dropped his wrench, and Pete picked it up. Though Pete looked averse to do so, he swung the wrench, aiming for Horace's back.

"No, Pete, don't!" Clarabelle was already screaming, already running, already shoving everyone and everything out of her way in a desperate attempt to stop the attack before it was too late. "His back is still bad, his back is still - "

The blow hit Horace's back before Clarabelle's screams hit Pete's ears. Horace cried out in agony and collapsed onto the floor. Pete was startled because he didn't think he had hit so hard, and was startled further to see the back of Horace's uniform starting to become stained with blood, while the wrench was clean. Clarabelle knelt at Horace's side, trying to pick him up and carry him on her shoulders. "Stupid, I… I told you to go…"She cast a hate-filled glare at Pete who was so frightened by its intensity that he dropped the wrench.

Millie, Minnie, and Daisy spotted Clarabelle and Horace's dilemma and abandoned their own worries at the time to head to their friends aide. Goofy saw his wounded former friend as well, and forced himself to head back to the ship, knowing he'd be of no help now. Millie helped to pick Horace up, looking him over back and forth. "Why was he fighting?" Millie whimpered. "He knew it was bad for his back!"

Minnie's face paled as she saw the blood now staining Horace's uniform. "What happened to him?" Horace wasn't cut judging by the uniform, so why was he bleeding? "What's wrong with his back?"

"We'll explain later!" Clarabelle began trying to move with Millie's help. "We have to get Horace to a doctor! Let the guards handle the pirates!" She met no argument as the four girls tried to help Horace leave the area as soon as possible. Pete watched them go, and then solemnly looked down at the wrench on the floor.

Mickey put one foot on his ship's railing as he looked over the damaged ballroom. He had set a time limit for this invasion to go down, and the seconds were dwindling down. Pirates were already running to return to the ship. However, none of this was on Mickey's mind. What bothered him was Minnie's saddened voice and her avoidance of his eyes. It was so different from the radical anger she usually gave him. He was so invested in the thoughts of his sweetheart that he never noticed Ortensia smiling at him.

Minnie thought she was forgetting something, but decided it couldn't be too important.

* * *

><p>Mortimer clicked his tongue, still sitting in the cells. "So." He once again tried to get his roommate's attention. "When do you think they'll let us out of here?"<p>

Oswald ignored him once again. He felt his time was better used in using his sword cane to write Ortensia's name in the walls over and over.

* * *

><p>That night, Scrooge McDuck was yawning as he discussed matters with Magica De Spell, and she stopped talking on her screen when she saw and heard it. She tapped her screen. "Am I boring you, Scroogie darling?"<p>

"How many times have I asked you to stop calling me that?" Scrooge adjusted his spectacles. "And you're the one who insisted on having this meeting so late. More than half of my servants are asleep, and so far all we've done is go over things I already knew." He tapped his fingers on his desk to make his irritation clear. "I haven't heard back from Darkwing Duck, so I have to assume everything was cleared up about his misconceptions."

Magica smirked. "If I'm keeping you from your beauty sleep, we can always cut this short and try again another time. I suppose at your age you need all the sleep you can get. Sweet dreams, Scroogie." She shut off her screen, leaving Scrooge alone.

Scrooge grumbled at the persistent nickname. If Magica only used it to annoy him, it was working. At least he had gotten her off of his back for now. Though she was a good business partner she could be very strange. He stood up from his desk and began to arrange the things on his desk when he heard the door open. He raised an eyebrow, not expecting any guests. "What are you doing here?" he looked down to resume his cleaning. "Look, can we discuss your terms another time? I just finished a meeting, and it's incredibly late. Why did Ducksworth even let you in?"

He waited for answer that wouldn't come as something hard and heavy smashed into the back of his head. He fell onto the floor, and was quietly picked up. The desk was left in disarray as he was taken out of his mansion.

**End Of Chapter Eleven.**


	12. Healing Versus Hurt

All hail my goddess of editing, Lies. Make a shrine to her!

* * *

><p>When the girls had been racing to the hospital it seemed as though time was impossible to measure since it was going by so fast. Now when Minnie, Millie and Daisy were waiting outside of Horace's room, time was slower than the sickest tortoise. Clarabelle was inside and woe to any doctor that attempted to make her leave, lest they wanted a painful headlock. The waiting girls struggled to keep patient with small talk, which was helped by the fact Millie was still wearing her wedding dress and getting plenty of stares. Minnie could have helped with the talks by telling them what had happened ever since Mickey's crew attacked Mortimer's ship but she was having an uncomfortable time with those memories.<p>

Minnie was feeling selfish by being so concerned with what Ortensia said when there were other more important matters going on. She shook her head hard to try and get rid of the cat's comments and focus on the situation at hand. Why had Horace's back begun bleeding so terribly after that attack? What did Clarabelle mean by 'his back is still bad'? Minnie cast a glance to Daisy who looked just as confused, and then glanced at Millie who carried a sad understanding. If Millie understood it, and Pete had been 'reminded' about it, then did it have something to do with their childhood long ago?

Minnie was tempted to ask when the door to Horace's room opened and Clarabelle staggered out. The three girls stood at once, and they could tell from her reddened eyes and exhausted appearance that Clarabelle had been sobbing heavily. Minnie couldn't remember a time if she'd ever seen Clarabelle cry. Clarabelle had been one of the strongest and most stubborn women Minnie had ever known, so to see the cow falling apart like this was startling. Millie tried to use her wedding veil to wipe at Clarabelle's face and Daisy led Clarabelle to the waiting chairs for her to sit. Minnie watched them and asked what they had all been wondering. "Is… is Horace okay…?"

Clarabelle nodded slowly with distant eyes. It was if part of her wasn't with them but somewhere distant and painful. Daisy took Clarabelle's hand and tried to get her attention. "Clarabelle, what's going on with him? What's wrong with him? I-It was like his back was exploding!" Minnie jabbed Daisy with her elbow to try and stop her from being so morbidly descriptive, and Daisy ducked her head in apology.

Clarabelle's head lowered, and her fists clenched her pants, a tremble to her arms. "… It's my fault." She spoke and even her voice was radically different. It was delicate and timid as if she was going to break into a million pieces. "It's my fault he's in there."

Millie made gentle shushing noises and touched Clarabelle's shoulder. "Don't say that, it isn't - "

Clarabelle shrugged off the help. "It is… I, I, I should have made him go home, I shouldn't have let him stay at the palace…" Her breath began to hitch and quicken in anger. "Why does he have to be so stupid… Why does he always feel like he has to be some… some hero…" She heaved heavily in an attempt to calm down and refused to look at her friends. "… His back is my entire fault. I almost killed him."

"That was an accident!" Millie insisted, looking back and forth between Clarabelle and Daisy with Minnie, the latter looking confused. Millie began to stammer, unsure if this was the time or place to explain what was really going on. "H-H-Horace, he, uh, well… he g-got his back injured a long time ago, and it's still, um, pretty bad, and…"

"Stop it." Clarabelle slowly sat up straight though would still not meet anyone's eyes. "I'll tell them." She took a breath, and closed her eyes. "… When I was little… when we were all little… I really liked playing with my dad's matches… I would always take them from his desk and go outside to light them. I just… liked the sound, the smell, the look… to make fire so quickly, it was like magic… I thought playing with fire made me brave, and I'd show off to everyone else…" Millie leaned her head on Clarabelle's shoulder, and Minnie and Daisy held onto Clarabelle's arm. "… One of our favorite places to play was this old farmhouse nobody used anymore… One day I brought the matches there, and I began to play with them…"

Clarabelle's body began to shake even harder and fresh tears were spilling. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn't something or someone stop her? "… I wasn't even looking where I threw the matches when I was done with them… A fire had started but none of us realized it until… until it was too late… the entire farmhouse… it just…" It became evident that all of her shakes and tears weren't just of guilt but a deep seated fear. Clarabelle held herself as if to protect herself from the flames she was seeing again, her voice going in rapid pitches. "The fire was everywhere, and… and everything was falling apart… everyone else got out, but I was trapped… the ceiling was falling, and the fire just grew bigger and bigger… but Horace realized I hadn't gotten out, and he came back in to help me… but then… one of the ceiling planks… collapsed on top of him, and he…" She couldn't finish, and buried her face in her hands.

Millie tenderly stroked Clarabelle's head, and found silent permission to continue the story. "Horace's parents managed to get the both of them out. He had… a terrible burn on his back that's never fully healed. It's really limited him, it's why he shouldn't fight." Millie tried to wipe Clarabelle's face again with little success. "… All of our parents began fighting over whose fault it was. It got so bad that Pete and Peggy's parents moved away."

That final detail stuck out to Minnie as she reluctantly recalled Ortensia's lecture. Goofy running away, and Pete and Peggy's parents moving from such a good town… did that mean Ortensia was right? That these children were doomed from the start to become pirates? No, that couldn't be it. Surely Minnie was jumping to conclusions, and she bit on her lip to try and focus again on the matters at hand. She didn't know Horace as well as the other girls but she knew enough to be confident in what she said. "Clarabelle, there's no way Horace would blame you for any of that. It wasn't your fault."

"Why doesn't he blame me?" Clarabelle's hands suddenly slammed down on the arm rests. "Why does he think he's invincible? Why doesn't he hate me?" She was almost screaming as she slammed down her fists over and over. For all the hate she had for herself, why didn't Horace feel the same? Even Clarabelle's own parents had blamed her, her father had even struck her for what happened, so why didn't Horace? She didn't deserve all of the friendship and kindness he bestowed on her yet she had always so selfishly clung to it. Did she love him on some level? Most definitely. There was no way she deserved to feel this way, she thought, and never in a million years could she earn the right to have that love given back.

Words became lost to her as she sobbed, and the girls could find no words of their own to comfort her. All they could think to do was gather together and hold each other close as a mutual understanding was reached. To love someone so deeply and yet know you did not deserve such affections in return was something they all hesitantly admitted to themselves. Millie's relationship with Goofy was constantly putting him in danger, Daisy treated Donald shabbily with all of her affairs, and Minnie couldn't get a particular image out of her head – an impossibly beautiful mother with the same eyes. How does someone tell the difference between love and lies?

It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, they honestly had no idea, before a new voice penetrated their circle. "Is this a bad time?" Minnie looked up and saw a lovely young woman standing nearby and looking right at them. She was wearing the exact same uniform as Captain Amelia, though her peaceful face made the appearance less intimidating. She was a fair human with slightly pale skin that helped her blue eyes stand out all the more. Her light brown hair was tied up tightly in a bun, and she was tapping a pen against a notebook in an effort to keep her hands busy. "You girls are…" she checked her notebook to keep busy. "… Minerva Mouse, Daisy Duck, Millicent Manchester, and Clarabelle Cow, correct?"

"We are." Daisy replied angrily, her grip on Clarabelle tightening. "Do we look like we're in a mood to chat?"

The woman stopped tapping and frowned in sympathy. "… I am sorry, but I've been given orders to get you girls back to base. Except Clarabelle, here, I think we can make an exception." When Clarabelle lifted her head for this, the woman offered a smile. "I was assigned today and given all the details of what happened during the wedding. You can stay here with your friend." She closed her notebook and gestured to herself. "My name is Jane Porter, and I'll be standing in for Amelia Doppler until her leave of absence is over."

Minnie's eyes widened and she rose to her feet. "Leave of absence? What happened to the captain?"

Jane's smile grew bigger. "She's on maternity leave. She probably won't be back until after she's had the baby."

If the girls hadn't been sitting already, they would have been knocked off their feet at this news. Minnie found herself sitting back down like the news was a heavy gust of wind. The idea of Amelia pregnant was mind boggling. Daisy touched her forehead in shock. "I didn't know the captain was pregnant!"

"I didn't even know she was married." Clarabelle mumbled, and it gave the girls pause. Come to think of it, Amelia never spoke about any husband and gloves always covered her hands so spotting a wedding ring had never been thought of. They tried to imagine what kind of man would be suitable for Amelia, and came up with images of a strong, hulking man who was the stuff of nightmares.

Jane cleared her throat to get their attention. "I'm sure you'll have enough time to question her later, but we really must be going."

The friends looked to Clarabelle with hesitance but she nodded with a sigh. "I'll call you later. I'll be all right." One last group hug was shared before they reluctantly tore themselves away from her and followed Jane. Minnie rubbed her face and made an attempt to cheer herself up. Horace would be all right, and Clarabelle would join the girls soon enough. Amelia would come back too and now that she was pregnant she was a little adorable in Minnie's vision. Everyone who attended the wedding would be fine thanks to Mickey's vow not to kill. She could find positive things about every situation except when it actually came to Mickey.

But really, what did she have to be upset about? Ortensia was just proving Minnie had been right, that Mickey didn't… l-word Minnie. Soon Mickey would realize the connection and finally leave Minnie alone. He was just chasing after an illusion. That's all Minnie was to him. This should have good news yet Minnie became so overwhelmingly distracted by it that she wound up bumping into a nurse. She backed up and apologized quickly before quickly running to catch up with the girls. The brown cat nurse hadn't seemed to mind, but Minnie did note for a short second that the nurse was wearing a singular golden armband. It was a strange accessory for a nurse, but the thoughts of Mickey were enough to distract her again.

* * *

><p>The next day, mid-afternoon to be exact, Drake Mallard was in a wonderful mood. Ever since he and Donald had first met Morgana, he had been making all sorts of excuses to go to the same building and see her again. He had even taken her on dates all while under the persona of Darkwing Duck. In his egotistical mind he believed Morgana was helplessly in love with him and so he never thought about the consequences. To his credit he had tried to ask about Magica's business a few times but she would retort about his dazzling eyes or his dashing physique and the topic was easily changed. Launchpad by this point had given up trying to point out the obvious, and as he guided Drake's carriage that day he was grumbling with each block they crossed.<p>

As they traveled along Launchpad spotted Donald at the corner of the next street, and Launchpad waved his hand to try and get the duck's attention while slowing the carriage down to a halt. Launchpad liked Donald, though he had trouble understanding what he said. Donald caught the gesture but instead of waving back his eyes went right to the carriage. He bolted from his place on the corner and headed right to the carriage. Launchpad tried to greet him but went ignored as Donald slammed open the door to the carriage and jumped inside, snarling ferociously and pointing at Darking. "_You_!"

Drake sat up straight to respond to him. "V, W, X, Y and Z. What do you want?"

Donald closed the door behind him, and Drake could see a newspaper in Donald's hand. Donald leaned forward dangerously, his body quivering in anger. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Drake was about to reply with his classic wit but something was terribly off about Donald. This wasn't Donald's usual temper tantrum that was funny to watch but an unfathomable rage that looked ready to kill. This was emphasized when Donald grabbed the front of Drake's jacket and slammed him against the back of his seat. "Do you realize what you've done to me and my family?"

Drake grabbed Donald's wrist in an attempt to wrench him off. "Enlighten me, and while you're at it, have a breath mint."

Donald was in no mood for jokes and shoved the newspaper into Drake's face. He didn't give Drake a chance to properly read it before saying the news for him. "My uncle has been kidnapped!"

"What?" Drake fumbled with the paper and tried to read as fast as his eyes could go. The night before, Scrooge McDuck had gone missing and couldn't be found in any of his business ventures. His servants had reported that he had no appointments to go anywhere, and there were some valuables missing from his office. Someone had cracked his security code to get in but there were no suspects as of yet. "This only says he's missing." Drake said slowly but even he knew it wasn't such a reach to agree to what Donald was saying.

Donald's fists clenched and his voice grew deeper with his anger. "My uncle has been able to fight off anyone who's tried to hurt him, even pirates. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't joined your organization and started looking into Magica's business!"

"First off," Drake folded the paper in his hands. "There's no connection between what we're doing and his disappearance. You've been keeping your identity a secret, and there weren't any clues at the crime scene to indicate - "

"Why weren't you at the crime scene?" Donald interrupted, looking as if he was physically struggling not to strike Drake. "You've been in contact with him before, you told him to trust you! You haven't tried to do anything about this case! You wanted me to join help to help you fight crime, but instead all you've done is ignore me for some broad and put my uncle in danger! You're nothing but a fraud!" The struggle was lost, and he grabbed Drake by the shoulders, slamming him against the seat again. "If my uncle is hurt, I swear I'll expose you and everything about the Justice Ducks!"

Drake was uncharacteristically quiet. It wasn't out of fear because he knew he could easily win in a fight against Donald and that there were always precautions taken to protect the secrets of the Justice Ducks. His silence came from the guilty bad taste knowing some of what Donald was saying was true. He swallowed down those unpleasant feelings and tried to sound serious. "I can admit I'm not perfect", which wasn't easy, "but you've got to believe I haven't been neglecting things on purpose. If Magica was involved with Scrooge's disappearance, we'll find out. Just give me some to investigate."

"I've already done investigating on my own, since you wouldn't." Donald sneered as he let go of Drake's shoulders. "My ex-girlfriend Donna works in Magica's company. She helped me look into some things. The accounting department has a fake account with funds reserved for false purposes. Donna's bosses say it's for charity donations, but the charity organizations they supposedly donate to don't exist."

Drake was already connecting the dots together in his mind. "That account has to be how they pay the pirates to do their dirty work! If someone kidnapped your uncle, they could have been paid out of that account. We have to find the exact source and flow of that money."

"Maybe you can." Donald reopened the door to the carriage. "Because according to Donna, Morgana is in charge of the charity donations." He left without another word, and ignored Launchpad's attempted greeting again. Launchpad shrugged it off, and stirred the carriage into motion again, oblivious to what had transpired inside the carriage. He resumed the original trip which was to take Drake home. As for Drake, his eyes burned into the newspaper as Donald's words rung in his head. Why did Donald insist that Morgana was part of the problem? Surely she didn't know any evil misdeeds were going on, and if she did, she'd cry about them into Drake's strong, loving arms. He could feel a flicker of common sense nagging at his brain to see the truth about this affair, but his love for the woman continued to defeat it.

They weren't far from Drake's house and he was relieved when the carriage came to a stop. All of his troubles could be forgotten when he was here. He rolled up the newspaper and stood up with a smile. There was one person who he loved more than Morgana and she was waiting for him inside his house. He stepped out of the carriage, and waved Launchpad off. Launchpad bade him farewell, but as he rode off, he spotted someone at Drake's door. He wondered who this gorgeous woman was but he was already gone before he could question her existence.

Drake turned to head for his home and saw the woman as well. The newspaper was dropped in shock for the woman who stood there was Morgana, arms crossed and smiling coolly. Time froze and Drake's jaw dropped. Why was she here? How was she here? He had kept his identity a perfect secret yet there she was and her eyes were seeing right through him. Her expression said she knew almost everything. Drake mechanically picked up the paper and ever so slowly walked up to her. "Helloooooo there, miss!" He squeaked in a desperate attempt to play off as if he'd never seen her before. "Can I… help you with something?"

Morgana smirked down at him and she seemed now ten times taller. "Good day to you, sir." Her voice was both sweet and venomous, lying on her end as well. "My name is Morgana McCawber, and I'm from the DeSpell Group. I'm head of legal affairs and of our charity division, and we were wondering if you'd like to make a donation to our funds." Her eyes narrowed. "Our research has indicated you have a good fortune in your bank account… which, I must admit, is a little strange, given such the quaint little home you have." She looked behind her. Drake's home was nothing special and was the average staple for a middleclass man. "It makes me wonder what all of your money could possibly be spent towards."

Drake fumbled for words, as his love for her and her stellar beauty were causing his usual excuses to become lost in his brain. "Oh, well, you know, I, uh, I never cared for those mansions and fancy living. I've always wanted a simple life."

"That's very admirable." Morgana looked back to him. "But also puzzling, since we've also been unable to find where exactly you're employed. Which begs the question, just where is your fortune coming from?"

Drake wished he had worn stronger deodorant that day because of how profusely he had started to sweat. It was amazing how beautiful she was even when she was being threatening. "Inheritance?" He meekly attempted, leaning back as she leaned forward. "Um, listen, Miss McCawber, I'd love to answer all of these privacy invading questions, but I really need to get inside."

Morgana was now so close a penny could barely fit between their beaks. "I just wanted to make sure before we got any donations from you… we wouldn't want to be getting donations from any illegal funds. You aren't involved in any illegal activities, like, oh, I don't know, vigilantism, hm?"

Drake was not a praying man but he would have done anything for a miracle right then and there in any shape or form. He probably should have been more specific in his prayer -

_BONK!_

-so that a flowerpot falling from his own window wouldn't come crashing down on his head. It cracked on impact, covering his entire face in dirt with a single flower sticking out on his forehead. A voice from the same window called out soon after. "I didn't do it!"

Morgana looked up the window with surprise as for all her research she had gone through, none of it had indicated that Drake lived with anyone else. A little girl stuck her out of the window, a pretty little bird with fiery orange hair and curious blue eyes. She leaned on the windowsill to get a better look at the damage. "I'd apologize, dad, but like I said, I didn't do it!"

Morgana stared even harder at the child. 'Dad'? But Drake wasn't married and his kind of obnoxious morality would never allow him to cheat on women. She had also been led to believe that a man with such narcissism couldn't possibly care for another person, let alone a little girl. She had come there to ruin him but now found herself without footing. Drake began brushing the dirt off of his face with the newspaper. "Funny how you're still going to get grounded. And I'm in the middle of a conversation."

The girl took a quick look at Morgana and raised her eyebrows. "Wow, you never bring women home." She then grinned, and leaned out further. "Dad, did you get yourself a girlfriend?"

"Gosalyn!" Drake hissed as both he and surprisingly Morgana's cheeks reddened.

"I'll be down in a second to check her out!" Gosalyn began climbing out of the window.

Drake rolled up the newspaper and pointed at her in an attempt to discipline her. "Young lady, don't you dare climb down the storm drain again!"

She climbed down the storm drain again, easily sliding down until she was by the adults' side. On closer inspection her hair was wrapped up in two pigtails and instead of wearing a dress, as most girls her age would, she was in dirty overalls. She put her hands on her hips as she looked Morgana up and down. "So, you think you're good enough to date my dad? I know most women are into the single dad thing, but I'm going to have to see some credentials first."

Drake's hand shot out and clamped itself on Gosayln's beak. "Gosalyn, dear, apple of my eye, get in the house before I find the boarding school brochures." He began shoving her towards the door, nodding fervently at Morgana. "Well it was nice meeting you, but we have to go in, and… work on her homework!"

Gosayln managed to free her beak when Drake opened the door. "But I don't have any homework! And she's your first girlfriend, I wanna know about her!"

Drake's face had become redder than the flower still sticking out of his head. "And those boarding schools have the most delightful uniforms." He quickly closed the door behind him, although Morgana could still hear more playful squabbling.

Morgana stayed in place as she tried to understand what she just heard. She was his first girlfriend? It didn't make any sense if he had a daughter, but on top of that, Morgana had thought a man of Drake's age would have had other women in his life. Despite his ego, he had proven to be quite charming at times and he did seem earnest in his desire to protect the people. Her role had been to seduce him and find out what she could about the Justice Ducks in order to help destroy them but now something unprecedented had come up. He was a single father, and a good father if Gosalyn's words were any indication, and he was completely inexperienced with women.

Morgana found those traits wonderfully endearing. It would be the first of many mistakes she would make. She smiled to herself, and quietly left the house.

* * *

><p>Mickey was lying uncomfortably on top of his bed that night. It was uncomfortable because for reasons he was still grasping with, Minnie wasn't in it with him. He flicked his yo-yo back and forth above his face, and the only other sound was Pluto's gentle snoring at the end of the bed. They had gotten a good haul from the wedding but Mickey was still unsatisfied. Why had Minnie looked so upset when she left the ship? He had apologized for his past errors and made sure she was treated well while on board. What reason did she have for those sad eyes?<p>

There was a knock to his door and the voice that came with it was Ortensia's. "Can I come in?"

"Aye." Mickey didn't look at her as she entered and instead kept his eyes on the yo-yo. "Did ye do as I asked?"

"Dropped the rat and the rabbit off in the biggest garbage dump in the city." Ortensia walked up to the bed and then leaned on one of the bed posts. "Thanks for lettin' me stay on board."

"Well someone's gotta look out fer ye." He shrugged dismissively, still distracted by thoughts of Minnie. "Just stay outta trouble."

"Speakin' of which, what's our next job gunna be?" She put her hands on the bed and watched him in an attempt to get his attention. "Gunna be hard to top crashin' a royal weddin'."

"Dunno." Mickey sighed sadly as he slowed down his yo-yo tricks. "Maybe we should hit a gift shop. Minnie was lookin' glum when she left, I gotta find a way ta cheer her up."

Ortensia's pleasant demeanor was gone in an instant. Her claws dug into the bed sheets but she otherwise tried to control her anger. "She'll be fine. We gotta concentrate on a real job! Real money! Are there any banks ye haven't touched yet?"

Mickey sat up and rewound his yo-yo. "Maybe she didn't like the food we served." He tapped his chin in thought. "Who was in charge a dinner that night?" He looked at Ortensia and didn't understand why her eyes were full of frustration. "Did she talk to ye when she was on board? Did she anythin' about what upset her?"

"Who cares!" Ortensia scowled, climbing on top of the bed. "Maybe it was 'cause she was on a pirate ship and she's a N.A.V.Y. girl! Maybe it's 'cause she hates ye! Just forget about her and concentrate on the next haul!"

Pluto was woken up by the loud conversation, and yawned as Mickey spoke back to her. "What's got ye so upset, Ortensia? Anytime I bring up Minnie, ye get in a bad mood. Just 'cause she's a N.A.V.Y. girl doesn't mean she's our enemy. I thought I made meself clear in the letters that I was gunna marry the girl."

Ortensia ground her teeth as she spoke. "Those letters weren't clear at all, and I didn't understand why ye'd wanna go chasin' after her until I saw her meself. Ye don't love this girl at all!"

Pluto looked back and forth between them as the heat of their words escalated. Mickey put his yo-yo in his pocket and tapped his fingers on his knee. "What makes ye say that?"

Ortensia clenched and unclenched her hands, over and over, hesitant to say her thoughts but knowing they had to be said. Maybe this would help Mickey finally get over Minnie and see where a potential bride was this entire time. "… She… She's got yer ma's eyes! I know that's why yer goin' after her!"

Mickey stopped in place and he stared hard at his little sister. Even Pluto shut his mouth as those dangerous words hung in the air. When Mickey spoke it sent a chill down Ortensia's spine as it was an anger she'd rarely seen in him. "_What_. Did ye say." It wasn't a question, but a demand to know what insolent thing she had just uttered.

Feeling it was for Mickey's own good, Ortensia kept going and kept pleading. "She's got the exact same eyes, I'd never forget 'em in a million years! Ye only want the girl cause ye see yer ma in her! It ain't right! I told her it wasn't right!"

"Ye - " Mickey's arm was on her wrist before he made any conscious thought to do so. "Ye told her about ma?" The anger in the room had now been completely flipped over. It was now Mickey who was seething in rage. "Who gave ye that right ta tell her anythin' about ma?"

Ortensia swiftly managed to yank her arm free and jumped off the bed to get a free spot. "Don't try and deny it! It's the only reason ye want her! Ye don't love her at all, ye just wanna rescue yer ma!"

Mickey climbed off his bed with a hard stomp on the floor. "Don't ye say another word about ma! I love Minnie fer who she is! This never had anythin' ta do with ma!"

"How would ye even know?" Ortensia stood her ground, determined to win this emotional battle. "Ye've never been in love before, how would ye know that's what ye got fer her? Yer chasin' nothin' but a dream!"

"I just know!" Mickey pounded his chest. He didn't care if the argument didn't make sense because he knew he was right. This overwhelming desire and desperation to be with her, how could it be anything else? To insult his love was as bad as insulting himself, especially since Ortensia had dragged his mother into this. "I love her, I do! And I'm gunna marry her and make her happy!"

"She won't make ye happy!" Ortensia was all but screaming, causing Pluto to crawl under the bed sheets in fright. "Yer only hurtin' yerself, ye… ye big fool!" Unable to bear another word from him, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door so hard it made Pluto jump in the bed. The dog slowly poked his head out to check on his master. Mickey stood in place, taking deep breathes in order to calm his nerves. The gentle whining of Pluto eased him, and he reached over to scratch his loyal hound between the ears.

"It's okay." Mickey murmured gently to his pet. "She's just tryin' ta look out fer me." Though why Ortensia was being so ridiculous about it was confusing. No matter what good intentions she had, there was no right in telling Minne about his mother. He sat on the bed and Pluto put his head on Mickey's lap. Mickey kept petting him as his thoughts wandered about. He had never made the connection between Minnie's eyes and those of his mother, but now that it was brought up he could somewhat see the resemblance. A part of him wondered if maybe his sister was right. Did he, on some level, go after Minnie because she resembled someone he had lost long ago?

"Nope." He said out lout with absolutely no hesitance. "Ma was ma, and Minnie is Minnie." Pluto lifted his head a little to try and understand what his master was trying to convey. "I may not have ever had a girl befer, but I know what I feel. Love's about wantin' ta make someone yers and make 'em happy, right?" Pluto shrugged in response but Mickey kept going. "And that's what I wanna do. I'm gunna marry Minnie cause I wanna make her happy, and I'm gunna make her smile every day, and I'm gunna be with her until I die, and then I'll beat up some angels so I can get inta heaven ta be with her." He then paused. "… Course she ain't happy now, I bet. What with Ortensia sayin' that stupid stuff. I gotta make her happy so she can marry me. She rejected me last gift so I gotta try harder. Now… what do girls like…" He tilted his head back and forth, the emotional plight with his mother and Ortensia easily shoved aside in favor of Minnie.

Pluto also tried to help his master think, and then came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. He sat up in place, his paws on Mickey's shoulders, yapping in delight. Mickey stared at him, trying to understand what the barking was supposed to convey. "What is it, boy? Ye got an idea?" Pluto nodded, and jumped off the bed. He pawed lightly at his collar, and Mickey's face burst into a smile upon recognition. "Why… that's a great idea! Aw, Pluto, ye really are man's best friend!" He slid off the bed to give his dog a hug, and after enduring a few ticklish licks from the pup, he released the dog. "It's a good thing we kept 'em around! Let's go pick out the right one fer her!" He and Pluto happily raced out of the room to get the perfect present for Minnie.

This idea was brilliant, and was sure to win Minnie's heart! It didn't occur to him that all of his past 'brilliant ideas sure to win Minnie's heart' hadn't worked out too well.

* * *

><p>That same night, Horace was drifting in and out of consciousness. The drugs given to him were easing his pain but also giving him strange visions. In one moment of clarity, he thought he saw one of his nurses pushing his moving bed down a hallway and towards the exit. It didn't make sense to him, because he thought he'd heard one of his doctors say he wouldn't be cleared to leave for a week. He tried to talk to the nurse pushing his bed but found his mouth was sluggish. The nurse, a brown furred cat wearing a golden arm band, merely smiled at him as he fumbled to talk. Where was she taking him?<p>

The cat looked ahead of her, and he blacked out again. When his consciousness returned, he couldn't have known how much time had passed, but he was definitely not in the hospital anymore. He couldn't tell where exactly he was but there was rumbling all around him. It wasn't that his bed was moving, but his bed was in some sort of moving vehicle. The cat was leaning against the wall, talking to people he couldn't see. Again, a futile effort to ask her what was going on was made. She ignored him, but he could make out a few words she was saying.

"One down." Was she chuckling? "I hope they're all this easy."

**End of Chapter Twelve. **


	13. Investigation Versus Incredulous

Enjoy this latest chapter while I make a virgin sacrifice to my glorious editor Lies.

* * *

><p>By the end of that week, spring was beginning to blossom. Were more important matters not at stake, Donald would have stopped to smell the flowers and even pluck some for Daisy. For now he had to be content with catching their scent as he waited outside of his Uncle Scrooge's mansion for the arrival of Drake. Today Donald would play the role of the mild mannered citizen while Drake would take on his hero persona to investigate the crime. Ducksworth stood at his side on the porch as they waited and the servant didn't exactly agree to this plan. "Mister Duck." He spoke coolly when the awkward silence became too much to bear. "I understand that Mister McDuck had some dealings with the Justice Ducks, but he never trusted them fully. Do you really think it's wise to let them in on the investigation?"<p>

Donald kept his eyes ahead for any signs of Drake's carriage. "I want every available power there is to help find Uncle Scrooge. Besides, what could it hurt?"

Ducksworth would have gladly said exactly what it could hurt had not blue smoke suddenly erupted at their feet. They sputtered in the sudden fog before a booming voice from the front of the porch boasted at them. "I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the cat who claws your new drapes! I… am Darkwing Duck!" With a swish of his cape, the smoke evaporated, and Darkwing Duck stood before them in all of his glory.

Ducksworth stared blankly at the display while Donald grabbed Darkwing by his beak. "Why in the world did you do that? I knew you were coming! I told you to come!"

Darkwing slapped the hand off. "A good hero must maintain his image even among allies. Now, let us be off to the scene of the crime!" Ducksworth exchanged a disapproving glance with Donald before turning around and opening the door. The trio went inside the impressive mansion and Darkwing let out a whistle of amazement. "A man of simple pleasures, isn't he?"

"Don't let this place fool you." Donald waved a dismissive hand. "He's as cheap as they come. He doesn't pinch pennies, he squeezes them until they're razor thin. He's even reluctant to spend money on his own family. My nephews get plenty of hand me downs for a man who could buy a dozen toy stores." They stopped in front of Scrooge's office since the doors were wrapped in yellow police tape. Ducksworth began to lift the tape and open the doors as Donald continued. "It happened very late at night, and the servants who weren't off duty were already asleep. Ducksworth is supposed to stop letting people in after ten p.m."

"As I did that night." Ducksworth added. When the room was accessible they all stepped in. "Mister McDuck gets even more irritable if he does not get a full night's rest. When my shift was over, I locked the house up and put in all of the security codes. Only someone who knows the password could have gotten in, and there's a limited number of people with that information." He gestured to the side of the door, where a small metal tablet was attached to the wall. It contained the entire alphabet and all numbers along with an even smaller screen.

Darkwing leaned in close to the tablet. "Another one of Magica's security systems. She may as well be wearing a big target sign on her back."

Donald went up to Scrooge's desk which was neat and clean. "Only a few valuables were taken, but it wasn't a normal robbery. The stuff that was taken wasn't stuff that looked like it was worth a lot." He gestured to empty spaces around the room. "A painting, some old books, it was like someone was trying to make this look like a robbery… but the only ones who could have taken them would have already known how much they were worth."

Drake came up to where Scrooge's chair still sat and carefully inspected the floor. "There's no sign of a struggle, so it's possible he knew the attacker. All signs are pointing to Magica."

"If I may." Ducksworth cleared his throat to get their attention. "Despite your inclinations to accuse Miss De Spell, her kidnapping Mister McDuck is impossible. She was his last call of the night, and given that he wasn't here the next morning, it would have been physically impossible for her to travel all the way here after the call, grab him, and leave."

"That's what hired goons are for." Darkwing sat in Scrooge's chair and looked around the room. "You should be lucky we're aiming for her. You know what they say about butlers and crimes." He smiled at the joke but Ducksworth's expression remained stoic.

Donald began pulling open the drawers of the desk to see if anything else had been disturbed. "Besides, everyone knows how much those two hate each other. Even though they were good business partners, every conversation they have ends up in a fight and they're always insulting each other. She's probably wanted to smack him with his own cane for a long time now." Donald knew he sure did. Darkwing had been nodding along when he spotted an odd mess on the floor. He slid out of the chair and knelt down, quietly inspecting what looked like broken bits of marble.

Ducksworth paused for a moment, uncertain if he should be sharing the knowledge he knew. Then he shrugged with one shoulder deciding Scrooge wasn't there to punish him. "Lovers tend to tease each other in such a manner, Mister Duck."

Both ducks stopped their personal investigations to stare at Ducksworth in disbelief. They surely must have heard wrong, or Ducksworth surely must have used the wrong word. He must have meant 'loathers'. Donald's voice went flat as he confirmed this. "_What_."

Ducksworth remained as calm as ever as he spilled the secrets. "Mister McDuck and Miss De Spell have been on and off lovers for some time now. They've been keeping it a secret to avoid scandals and assure the investors in their stocks that they're honest businesses." He stopped to let the facts sink in, as he was sure that they couldn't handle more news than that.

Donald gave another flat "_What_." But Darkwing's confusion was much louder and in far more disarray. "What? No way! He's ancient! She's got to be less than half his age! Are you honestly telling me those two are a couple?" Scrooge always seemed to favor money over people, especially over women. It was also insulting on Darkwing's behalf that such an old geezer could still land a woman and Darkwing could only get a girlfriend when he was on a mission.

Ducksworth shrugged the same shoulder again. "I wouldn't say couple… on account of Scrooge's other women."

Donald didn't even have enough strength to muster another 'what', though he did mouth it in disgust. Darkwing tugged down on his fedora as insult topped insult. "Women? As in multiple?"

Ducksworth quietly went to a bookcase behind the desk and slid out a brown thin photo album. He held it open to the birds and pointed to various beautiful women who were all smiling at the camera. None of them seemed a day over thirty and each one could have been a rival for Aphrodite's spot on Mount Olympus. "Well, there was also Miss McBridge, Miss Willams, Miss Rapson, Miss Vanderbucks, Miss - "

Donald shot his arms out and slammed the book shut before his mind could be damaged any further. "I will pay you to stop talking, I swear."

Darkwing had to lean on the desk for support. "That… that old man really got around… I… guess this opens up a whole new list of suspects…" He never thought he'd be insanely jealous of a man in his eighties.

Ducksworth returned the photo album to the shelf. "Mister McDuck was not one for long lasting relationships. These were casual affairs, little more, and that included Miss De Spell. There was only one woman he has ever felt a deep and lasting connection to." He walked to the bits of broken marble, knelt down and picked one piece up. This piece was colored gold and appeared to have been carved with ringlets. "Miss Goldie O'Glit. They knew each other when he was still creating his fortune, and they still keep in touch. This was a miniature statue of her that Mister McDuck always kept on his desk." He then looked straight at Donald and sounded strangely serious. "I trust you will not repeat this information… but Mister McDuck planned to invite Miss O'Glit to the wedding and propose to her after the ceremony."

Donald still looked ready to gag, but Darkwing understood the seriousness of the situation. "Is there anyone else who knew about these wedding plans?"

Ducksworth stood up straight. "He informed every single one of his women about his plans. They were all compliant and agreed to stop seeing Mister McDuck once he was engaged."

Darkwing pulled the photo album back out of the shelf. "Women can be pretty good actresses. We'll need to clear all of the women in here before we can make sure Magica did this. My gut is telling me that she's the criminal, and my gut has never been wrong before!" He ignored Donald loudly coughing and muttering 'Morgana'. "I'll be taking this with me. Donald, keep me updated if you find anything new." Donald still looked ready to hurl, so Darkwing addressed Ducksworth. "Is there anything else I should know before I go try to bleach these terrible images out of my head?"

Ducksworth went to open the door for Darkwing. "Only that Miss O'Glit could not have been the criminal either. She lives in the Kingdom of America." At the end of his sentence, Darkwing burst into blue smoke and vanished, though Ducksworth could hear footsteps heading towards him, then past him, and then out the door. The urge to roll his eyes was excruciating. Once the smoke was gone, he looked to Donald who was still hacking a bit from the smoke. "Shall I get you a glass of water, Mister Duck?"

Donald shook his head and cleared his throat. "I'll be fine. But I need you to help me out… get the carriage out and call Donna. I need to set up another meeting with her." As for the car, he needed to make a trip and look over evidence long since abandoned. "If anyone needs me, I'll be at Uncle Scrooge's museum." He decided to have the driver take the shortest route possible. The less he had to think about his uncle's astounding love life, the better.

* * *

><p>Jane proved to an efficient leader as she took over Amelia's troops, though she was also showing slightly more kindness and understanding. It was this same day she was gave Clarabelle, Millie, Daisy and Minnie a special undercover assignment and all four girls looked forward to it. A hard day of work would be enough to clear all the emotional trials they were going through. Clarabelle especially hadn't visited Horace in the hospital since day one. Jane had gotten information that a noble was planning to make a business deal with pirates, so the assignment was to go undercover where the deal was taking place and arrest the noble. The location was a seedy bar on the outskirts of the city. This particular water hole was infamous for its scantily dressed women, so Jane had managed to get the girls something to blend in.<p>

Unfortunately they were given one dress, and it was a very small size.

"Hey, sweetie! I need a refill!"

"Shake those hips my way, baby!"

"I got a nice gold coin for the next honey to ice up my drink!"

Minnie sighed heavily, standing in the doorway of the bar, trying not to retch from the stench of alcohol and cigar smoke. Sullenly, she forced her feet forwards, trying to blend in with the drunken atmosphere, pretending to be just another serving girl in this illicit place. She had no arguments with the plan itself. Clarabelle was taking a back entrance to the bar for stealth, Millicent and Daisy would stay in the ship and watch over the process, ready to provide backup if needed, while Minnie… well, this is where the two hour argument had begun. One girl needed to go into the bar itself and keep track of passing information.

Just being in the bar made Minnie feel like she had already lost precious parts of her dignity, but the outfit was forced to wear took the other parts and shipped them off in the sunset. It was a pink, flimsy, see-through, utterly revealing and utterly embarrassing dress; the sort one imagined would fit the harem girls of a great sultan. As she walked further into the bar, she kept trying to hold herself in a desperate attempt to cover herself up, but she thought she could feel eyes all over her arms, shoulders, stomach, legs… the only thing preventing her from running right out of there was the thought of Amelia and Jane. This was a mission, after all. A mortifying one, but a mission none the less.

A tray was shoved into her arms before she could even think twice, with the voice of another girl going "Go grab the dirty glasses off table twelve!"

Minnie merely nodded, looking around for table twelve. She took a deep breath as she passed each table, getting into the act. She made herself smile, gave a toss of her head, and was every bit a dancing girl, a serving girl, a harem girl ready to pleasure her sultan in whatever way he pleased. However, most of the men were paying attention to the taller girls, not paying her too much of a passing glance. It nicked her ego, but she did her best to pay it no mind. She wasn't here to flirt, she was here to work. Yet all the imagined eyes she thought she had felt were actually everywhere but on her. How had she gone from four suitors to not even being a blip on the radar?

Her eyes were so focused on the tables that she accidentally bumped arms with a passing man. Startled, she tried to cover for her clumsiness, creating a fake little giggle and batting her eyelashes at the person she passed. "Oh, oopsie~! Did I - "

When she saw who it was, the scream in her mind could have deafened millions. In retrospect, it wasn't inconceivable that a pirate would be there, there were probably dozens of other pirates in this seedy establishment. But, why, why, why, _WHY_, of all pirates, did Captain Mickey Mouse have to be the one she bumped into? Her voice died in her throat, and he merely stared, just as surprised to see her. The mice were completely still, trying to reason just why the other was there. For Mickey, the pieces came together all too easily in his mind – why else would a N.A.V.Y. girl be dressed like this, in such a place?

The mental scream that could have deafened millions now reached a pitch of trillions when she saw Mickey's lips curl into a devilish smile that could have rivaled Satan's best men. She could have even sworn there were little horns popping out of his feathered hat. "Hel-_lo_, luv." Even his voice contained mischievousness that was killing her. He knew exactly what was going on, and was clearly going to milk this for all it was worth.

She tried to turn and make an escape, words faltering with fear. "Oh, uh, you, have me mistaken, for, for someone else, I - "

"Ah, ah, ah." He caught her hand, and then comfortably sat himself down in the closest empty chair. "Not leavin' me side so soon already, are ye?"

Minnie knew pulling her hand back would do no good, and causing any kind of a fuss here would raise suspicions among the other patrons. "I, uh, I have other tables to attend to, so - "

"They can wait." With a yank to her hand, she was suddenly on his lap, the tray clattering to the ground. "And if ye left, I might get so lonely, me little mouth might start blabbering the N.A.V.Y. is here…"

"You wouldn't dare." But she knew he would, and she could see from there other girls in the same flimsy uniform sitting in the laps of other despicable men. To refuse Mickey would be to call attention to herself. Her cheeks reddened as a lazy arm came around her waist. "This is official business!" She whispered, trying to get him to knock it off. "I don't have time to be playing around with you."

"Can ye keep this look?" He replied, ignoring her frustration outright. "It's a nice number." He held up her hand, and began to kiss each finger and knuckle there. I a normal situation, he would have gotten slapped at least three times by now. Alas, under the present circumstances, Minnie had no choice but to sit in his lap and withstand his affection. "Give us a smile."

"Shouldn't you order a drink or something?" Minnie wouldn't meet his eyes, feeling the heat of her blush radiate off her cheeks. Where were Daisy and Millicent? Didn't this count as a cry for backup? She yelped as their bodies suddenly shifted, as Mickey had leaned back, propping his feet up on a table. The shift in gravity caused her to lean on his chest, and for anyone unaware of the real situation, they gave off the impression of casual snuggling lovers, especially as his hand came to stroke one of her ears. A groan made itself known in Minnie's throat. This was awful, this was humiliating, this was…

… slightly giving her ego the recovery it needed from the inattention she had gotten with the other men. But Mickey didn't need to know that. Especially Mickey didn't need to know that.

"So, luv, how long this lil mission gunna be?" His hand was now on her back, giving her a rub-down that she uselessly tried to fight by flicking her tail at him.

"Soon." In all honesty she had no idea, but she'd use any lie she could get if it meant she could get rid of his wandering hands.

"Lemme guess… the noble slinkin' 'round here to make a deal?" To combat her tail, he merely began playing with it, looping it in between his fingers. In response, she gave a diminutive squeak, burying her head in his chest. "And ye suspect the man in charge around here… why, shoot, me girl, why didn't ye just ask me what I knew?"

She raised her head at that, knowing he had some ground to back that claim up on. He was rather knowledgeable about black market deals, robberies, illegal doings – knowledgeable, she would correct herself later, he was not smart, intelligent, or witty, he was knowledgeable – and he never lied to her. Sure, he would sometimes exaggerate things, but he never lied to her. Still, she met his offer with guarded skepticism. "Are you saying you know what's going on?"

"I might." He put a few fingers under her chin, so their faces could better meet. "I'd spill out me entire heart to you, turtldove… on one condition."

Of course. She rolled her eyes, but straightened herself up, trying to think. She was already dressed in what she assumed he dreamed about during most nights when he couldn't make a literal grab for her, and she wasn't allowed to fight off his advances right now, what more could he possibly get out of her? "What do you want?" She already regretted asking.

With a waggle of his eyebrows, he pointed right at his mouth, and pouted his lips. The message was obvious, and her reaction wasn't well thought out, but instant. "No way!" The already unsteady balance of the chair was knocked off completely, as the push sent the chair reeling backwards until it hit the floor. The girl fell on top of the boy and by sheer accident – she would fight this to the death in later arguments, that what followed _was a complete and total accident_– her mouth fell on top of his. Hoots and hollers of onlookers reached her ears, cheering on the couple.

Mickey was not one to waste time. His hands gripped Minnie's shoulders, powerfully returning the kiss for all he was worth. She was still as soft and warm as the first time he kissed her, and knew she would be for every time they would kiss in the future. Hopefully those future kisses wouldn't have his lover shocked so stupidly that she would be frozen in place and not doing anything, as the last times including this had come to be. It would be rather nice to be given a kiss back, once in a while. But, for now, he wouldn't complain. By dictionary definition, they were kissing, and he would take what he could get.

Eventually, for the sake of mercy towards her, he placed his hands on her cheeks, and unsteadily pulled her back, enjoying the dumbstruck red expression she wore. He licked his lips, in no real hurry to get up. "First kiss, I'll tell ye whatever ye wanna know… but… the other kisses are free." Minnie's lips twitched – it appeared her mind was fighting for the right insult to snap at him. So far, 'degenerate' was neck and neck with something she once heard Donald yell at a waiter.

Putting the violent urges behind her, she tried to keep her voice low. "Now tell me what you know. Who is the noble, and what kind of deal is he making here, and who is he making it with?"

Mickey made no effort to sit either of them back up and was content on the floor. "I dunno."

"What – Hey!" Minnie grabbed him by the front of his jacket and shook him back and forth. "You said you'd tell me whatever I wanted to know!"

"And I don't know anythin' 'bout the noble business." Mickey allowed himself to be shaken. "I just brought the boys here fer a drink. Honest. But now that yer here…" He shoved himself off the floor, and in a quick and instant movement, was not only standing up on his feet but he was also carrying Minnie in his arms. "I can give ye me present!"

"Put me down!" Minnie began to struggle in his grasp before remembering what her job was and quieted herself down. "And I told you I don't want any presents from you! Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

He wasn't and whistled a merry tune as he took to the stairs. "Don't ye worry none about bein' found out. They got rooms here for when the fellas wanna get ta know the girls very… personal-like." He tilted his head a little to give her an idea of what he meant.

_SLAP!_

Mickey stopped for a moment to rub his now sore cheek. "... I ain't bringin' ye there fer that." Judging by Minnie's hot red glare, she wasn't buying that. He sighed heavily as he stopped before the room he had rented, and kicked the door open. The room was very small and very plain, with the only interesting detail being Pluto on the bed, his paws around an even small box with itty bitty holes in it. "Pluto, is the present ready?" Pluto nodded vigorously, and took the handle of the box into his teeth, jumping off the bed.

Mickey put Minnie down, and she smoothed down her outfit as he closed the door behind him. "Now," Mickey began, "Ortensia told me she's been fillin' yer head with all kinds a nonsense."

Minnie hitched a breath as the taboo subject was brought up. "… I… I don't know what you mean."

Mickey stood by her side, trying to meet her eyes, but she kept moving her head away. "All that stuff 'bout me ma, thinkin' I only want ye cause ye got her eyes. But I know ye ain't gunna listen to me right away, so I gotta cheer ye up first. I got somethin' real special for ye, and I've been holdin' onta it fer a real long time now."

Minnie crossed her arms and kept her nose in the air. "I don't want it. It's probably stolen, and I refuse to partake in any illegal activities. Furthermore, I couldn't care less what Ortensia had to say. I don't know how I can make this any clearer to you, Captain, but I have absolutely no interest in you except to arrest you. I fully intend to bring you to justice so that…" She began to trail off as she heard a sound coming from Pluto's box. Pluto placed the box down, and Minnie cautiously knelt down to open it. As soon as she saw what the present was, she had two thoughts. The first was that Mickey was a very unfair man. The second thought she said out loud with any control.

"Awwwwwww!" Her high pitched squeal almost made Pluto wince. "What a cute little kitty!" Inside the box was a black and white kitten that was happily mewling up at her. He was the most adorable thing Minnie had ever seen in her entire life. She reached in to scoop him up, pressing her cheek to his face. "Who's a cutie? You are! Yes you are! Aw, you're just a little baby! Look at that little tail!" The kitten purred with all of the attention given, and Minnie continued to pet and coo him without another thought to what was happening around her. It's why she didn't notice Mickey and Pluto giving each other thumbs up.

Mickey carefully leaned in. "His name's Figaro."

"Figaro!" Minnie squeaked, tickling Figaro's tummy. "What a nice name! Isn't it, Figaro? Figarooooo~!" She didn't ever want to let him go, and Mickey was perfectly content with watching her. If you asked him, Minnie in this moment was a hundred times cuter than any kitten. The pirate watched his cute girlfriend as she watched her cute kitten until a realization came to her. "… Wait a minute." She slowly turned her head back to him with narrowed eyes. "…He's from that pet store you robbed, isn't he."

Mickey smiled since he was proud of that particular robbery. "Never said I just kept Pluto, now did I? I got a whole bunch a cats and dogs back on me ship." He then named them on his fingers. "Oliver, Lady, Tramp, O'Malley…"

"But I can't keep something that's stolen!" Minnie stood straight up, but she sounded more like she was whining than objecting nobly. "I can't keep him!" Yet as she looked back to Figaro who was nuzzling up to her neck, she couldn't will herself to let him go. Why did he have to be so cute? Why did he have to be so illegal? "But… oh, don't look at me like that, Figaro, I… ooooh!" She groaned, cuddling the kitten even closer. "This isn't fair, Mickey!"

"Pirate." He reminded her. "Now that yer in a good mood, ye'll listen ta me. Yer eyes ain't got nothin' ta do with what I feel fer ye. Yer not like me ma at all." He stepped toward her and for once she stood in place. "I ain't tryin' ta replace her. I know she's gone, I got over that a long time ago. I don't want her, I want ye. Truth be told… half the time, I ain't even lookin' at yer eyes!" To prove it, his eyes went downward.

_SLAP!_

Mickey rubbed his now other sore cheek. "… Ye really don't trust me much, do ye. I meant yer smile!"

Minnie kept her hand up in case he needed to be smacked again. "What about my smile?" Her smile wasn't anything special. It was just a motion of happiness. Everyone did that, including long dead mothers that Minnie was still coming to grips with.

"It was the first thing that made me fall in luv with ye." He kept his eyes on her eyes to make sure there were no more understandings. "Back on the Hawkins, the first time I made ye laugh, ye had on this big smile… it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Right then and there, I…" How could he even begin to describe how he felt when he first saw it? How does one put to words how a life is changed? "I just… wanted it. Wanted ye. I didn't want ye to ever stop smilin'." Minnie became strangely uncomfortable with how gentle he was sounding, but when she tried to look away his hands cupped her cheeks and made her keep looking at him. "… Yer so _beautiful_, turtledove…"

The way he stressed on the word seemed to carry a different meaning than how it was typically meant. It wasn't just a matter of physical looks. It seemed to mean a beauty that radiated from within her. She was wearing an embarrassing outfit in a disgusting bar, she was surrounded by degenerates and holding stolen property, but in that moment she actually felt beautiful. Her mind was chaos and conflict. She wanted to run away – she wanted to stay. She wanted to shove him away – she didn't want him to let go. She wanted to cry – she wanted to smile. The passion in his eyes was too much to hold so she closed her eyes tightly. "No, we… we can't…"

What was she saying? It wasn't we, because all of the… l-word was felt on his side! She felt nothing! This was all him, this was his entire fault! He let go of her cheeks and slid his arms around her, holding her close to his chest. Figaro squirmed a little but then easily relaxed in the comfort of the two mice. "I'm willin' ta wait…" Mickey murmured directly into Minnie's ear. "… until ye wanna come on board. I'll wait ferever if I have ta."

The word wait made her pull her head back and look at him in surprise. "Wait?"

"I know how much bein' in the N.A.V.Y. means ta ye." He rolled one of her spit curls in his fingers. "Until ye wanna quit, until ye retire, doesn't matter ta me. I'll be waitin' fer ye ta get out and be with me. I ain't ever gunna give up on ye."

She studied him and found no trace of lies. This was ridiculous. He was actually proving to be slightly more decent than Mortimer, who wanted her out of the N.A.V.Y. as soon as possible? Mickey was actually giving her a choice? He actually knew what she wanted? She ducked her head low to avoid him again. "That… that might be… a long time."

"Ye know what might help me wait?" He brushed his cheek to hers affectionately. "I just wanna hear it once… tell me ye luv me."

She didn't, so how could she possibly tell him? This had to be all head games. He was just telling her what she wanted to hear. She had always wanted to hear everything he had been saying and he knew it. This was nothing more than a game to him. This was a game he was winning.

She felt his lips on her cheek and her mouth opened without her say so. "I." No, she wasn't going to say it, because she didn't feel it. "I." All of her emotions for him were hate, that's what she would say. She'd say 'I hate you' and he'd leave her alone forever. That was right, that was just, that made sense. To feel anything else would be insane. She was a rational person. She knew what she had to do. She knew what she wanted to do. "I…"

Ortensia had no idea what she was interrupting when she slammed the door open, loudly announcing "We gotta get outta here, Mick!" but when she saw Mickey and Minnie in such a loving embrace, she would have done everything in power to interrupt it anyway. "What's she doing here?"

Mickey slapped a hand to his face in frustration. "Why do we gotta get outta here, killer of moods?" Even Pluto was whining about what had just stopped, though he had covered his eyes with his paws as the intimacy had gone out. Minnie was trying to decide if she wanted to thank Ortensia or give her a round house kick to the face.

Ortensa pointed out in the hallway. "The noble that's makin' a deal here, it's that loony Oswald! We gotta get outa here befer he knows I'm here!"

Mickey released his hold on Minnie but pointed to her face. "We'll be pickin' up where we left off, next time."

Minnie shoved him aside to march up to Ortensia. "Why is Oswald here, and who is he making a deal with?"

Ortensia hissed at her rival with all of her teeth bared. "I dunno, but it ain't none of yer business! We woulda been leavin' anyway, 'cause I ain't lettin' ye seduce me brother!"

"Seduce – I was doing no such thing!" Minnie huffed right back. When Ortensia gave her outfit a disapproving look, Minnie tried to cover herself with her arms again while still balancing Figaro. "Th-this is for a job! I'm undercover!"

Ortensia snorted and looked away. "Sure ye both woulda been under the covers if I hadn't come along."

"You - !" Minnie readied her slapping hand, when a new interrupter joined the scene, sticking his head into the room.

"Captain!" now it was One-eyed Pete standing in the doorway, looking visibly more panicked than Ortensia and not even noticing Minnie's wear. "We gotta get outta here, right now!"

Mickey threw up his hands in the air. "Why do none a ye want me to get married? Yes, Pete, I know that fool rabbit's here! Ollyollyoxenfree or whatever is name is!"

Pete worriedly looked back into the hallway. "Uh… actually, it's about someone else… and we really outta get goin'! 'Cause here they come!"

Ortensia shrieked, and dove under the bed with only her tail sticking out. Two figures ran down the hallway, and Pete made an effort to try and run when one of the figures suddenly jumped up and kicked him right in the back. Pete twisted as he fell; landing hard on his back and making his mechanical eye shatter its glass once again. The attacker now stood on top of his plump stomach. It was a tall woman, and Minnie recognized her from not only the wanted posters but also Millicent's story. "Peggy Sue?"

The woman drew up her shoulders and snapped at Minnie. "It's Peg! Pistol Peg! And mind yer own business!" She then looked back to Pete, snarling as she looked down him. "I finally found ye, Pete! Did ye really think ye could hide away from me ferever?"

"Kinda." Pete whimpered, looking to Mickey for help. Mickey was busy inspecting the door and wondering why it had no gosh darn locks on it.

The second figure now came into the view as he entered the scene, and it was none other than Oswald. "Look, Peg, chase after your own men later, but we weren't done with our deal! Are you going to help me get what I want or not?"

"Back off, bunny!" Peg wouldn't even look at him and kept her eyes solely on Pete to make sure he couldn't get away. "I've waited a long time for this, and I ain't lettin' him go again!" She dug her heels into his belly for punishment for trying to get away in the first place.

Minnie made a faint attempt to do her job by trying to talk to Oswald. "Lord Oswald, how could you?" She put a free hand on her hip. "Making a deal with pirates? What could possibly be worth running your good name? How could you sink so low?" He didn't answer right away and she knew why. "… Ignore what I'm wearing and answer the question."

Oswald looked undercover as well, since noble clothing would have made him stick out. He was dressed in pirate attire, and in a twisted hilarity Minnie realized his outfit was almost a near replica of Mickey's. "If you must know," he spoke to her without a drip of respect as per the norm, "I was enlisting Peg's help to me find Ortensia and convince her to marry me."

Minnie knew it would be very petty if she pointed out Ortensia's tail under the bed as revenge for telling Minnie about Mickey's mother and interrupting their moment. Minnie could live with being petty. "She's right there," she said quickly, and Ortensia shrieked louder when she understood she was being targeted.

"Ortensia?" Oswald gasped in joy, and began to run into the room. Mickey grabbed the door handle and smacked the door right into Oswald's head. He collapsed onto his back, knocked out cold with a growing bump on his forehead.

Mickey glanced to Minnie. "That wasn't fair."

Minnie pet Figaro while putting on an innocent expression. "N.A.V.Y. girl."

Mickey stuck his hands in his jacket and looked at Peg and Pete. "All right, now what's with the two a ye? Whadja do this time, Pete?"

Minnie raised a hand in an effort to help the situation along. "If I remember correctly, these two knew each other from childhood. So they were friends."

"Best friends." Peg dug her feet even harder into Pete's gut. "And we kept in contact even after we left our hometown. We would always meet up and help each other out. Now he went and made a promise he doesn't intend ta keep!" She held up her hand and pointed to her bare fingers. "Last year when we went out drinkin', ye said he'd marry me as a birthday present! My birthday's gone and passed, and look, do ye see a ring on me finger? Do ye?"

"But, Peggy," Pete weakly smiled with nervous laughter. "I… I was drunk… I woulda agreed to anythin'…"

"A promise is a promise!" Peg began to kick at his stomach. "Yer gunna marry me if it's the last thing ye ever do! And it just may be the last thing ye ever do, ye filthy stinkin' jerk!"

Minnie rubbed her temples, wondering what was with all the incredibly stupid marriage proposals she kept seeing everywhere. Pete tried wave his flesh arm to the captain as an even bigger sign for help."B-b-b-but I can't leave the captain's side! He'd never lemme leave ta get married! Right, captain?"

Mickey remembered the experience in the jungle and how Pete had tried to fight for Minnie. Mickey could also be petty. He waved a hand to Pluto and Ortensia, who had just crawled out of the bed. "Ye have me blessin's. I'll drop off a weddin' present later." He then gave Minnie a quick kiss on the cheek. "See ye later, turtledove." He then merrily walked out of the room with his dog and sister in tow.

"Perfect!" Peg hopped off of Pete's stomach and clapped her hands. "Now we can start makin' arrangements! I already got a nice dress stolen and everythin'! I want a June weddin', and a big tiered cake, and… PETE!" Despite being fat and full of metal, Pete could be surprisingly fast when he was frightened, and judging by the speed in which he had gotten up and started running, Pete was terrified beyond mortal measure. "GET BACK HERE!" Off went Peg, leaving a bewildered Minnie all by her lonesome.

A few seconds of silence passed, and Minnie nudged Oswald with her foot to test how unconscious he was. Once she was sure he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, the room right next to her began to open its door. Clarabelle stuck her head out, whispering low. "Minnie, I found out who the noble… oh." She had already looked down and seen Oswald laying there with a dazed face. "Huh. Well. Good job, Minnie." She snuck out and lifted Oswald into her arms, but she took notice of something as she did. "Where'd you get the cat?"

Minnie looked down at Figaro who smiled adorably at her. "… I found him."

"He's cute." Clarabelle commented, and then heaved Oswald over her shoulder. "Let's get going. This place is awful." Minnie followed her, and when they reached the back exist, Clarabelle's classic curiosity kicked in. "Did you give the little guy a name yet?"

"His name is Figaro." Minnie snuggled the kitten close. "Don't you just love him?"

**End of Chapter Thirteen.**


	14. Independent Versus Isolated

I can never stop thanking Lies enough for all of her beautiful editing work. Neither should you.

* * *

><p>The weekend was over and most women in the N.A.V.Y. were expected to pick up the slack and dive right into their week once Monday arrived. Daisy, however, saw it as just another day and saw no reason to work harder than she usually did. On particularly slow days, she would sneak back into her and Minnie's room to arrange another date with her multiple side boyfriends. But as she communicated with Gladstone Gander over the radio that day, she was mostly agreeing to everything he was saying without listening to the words. Her mind was elsewhere.<p>

Once again, Donald had canceled a date of theirs, and when Daisy asked Ducksworth about it, once again he said Donald was going to see Donna. Ducksworth hadn't given any whys or explanations behind it so Daisy was left to her own destructive imagination. Was Donald actually cheating on her? She never thought he had the gall, so her blame went to Donna. Obviously Donna was seducing Donald and trying to steal him away. Donald was just too weak to resist her advances.

"Daisy?" Gladstone spoke louder to try and get her attention back to him. "I said do you want the diamond necklace, or the emerald choker?" He thought she was being awfully quiet which was unlike her.

"Huh?" Daisy looked at the radio as she was readdressed. "Oh… either one is fine, honey. You're such a sweetheart." She tried to sound enthused about the gift prospect but it was clear her heart wasn't into it. Despite all the men she had on her arms, the thought of Donald being with anyone beside her was enough to occupy her mind and leave room for little else. It just wasn't right, it just wasn't fair. Donald was hers and hers alone, what was so difficult to understand about that?

"Is everything okay, sugar plum?" Gladstone didn't actually care for her problems and found her sadness quite boring. She needed to get back to praising him and his fabulous wealth like a good woman was supposed to do. "You seem out of sorts today."

Daisy strummed her fingers on her arm, and looked at her bed. Slowly a decision was being made, and she reached out toward the radio. "I'm sorry, Gladstone dear. I'm not feeling too well. I'll try and call you later." She clicked off her end without a goodbye. She figured Gladstone would be irked but would also easily get over it. The relationships she had with these boys were of sheer fun and pleasure. Emotions and bonds were never even considered. As for now, Daisy was about to bend the bonds that were precious to her.

Taking a breath, she made sure the door was locked, covered the only window in the room, dimmed the lights, and then stood in front of their bunk bed. Figaro was nestling cozily on Minnie's pillow, not making a sound. Daisy had welcomed the newest roommate and the girls agreed to keep his presence a secret since pets were not allowed in their rooms. Daisy was still puzzled as to where and why Minnie got the kitten but there were more pressing matters to take care of. Ever so quietly, she slid her hand under her mattress, and pulled out a fake silver compact mirror case. It had fake jewelry twisted in but looked like it could have blended in amongst Daisy's other elaborate gifts.

During Prince Edward's wedding, Daisy had noticed the compact falling out of Goofy's clothes when he made his entrance. It was the very same compact Goofy had tried to give to Minnie by his captain's orders, and he had held onto it ever since the rejection. Daisy had managed to pick up during the wedding fiasco and the night after leaving Horace at the hospital she opened it. She was deeply surprised to see Mickey's quarters in the mirror, and had shut it closed at once. She knew she should hand it over to her superiors, but temptation had made her keep it. Perhaps someday it could come in handy.

Someday had come. Exhaling deeply, she opened the compact and looked at the video screen. The other compact was on Mickey's desk lazily left open. She could see he was half asleep in his chair with a bottle of rum in one hand. Daisy cleared her throat, but he didn't hear her and instead he took another swig. She cleared it again, but still nothing. Agitated, Daisy hissed directly to the screen. "Captain Mickey!"

Mickey fell out of his chair as the voice appeared to come out of nowhere. The bottle was now partially stuck in his mouth, and it only popped out when he shook his head hard. He stood up and rubbed his sore sides before looking around for the source of the noise. "Who's there? What's goin' on?"

"Over here, stupid." Daisy grumbled, making sure to keep her voice low so that no one outside of the room could hear her. "The compact! The compact!"

Mickey's eyes darted around until they finally hit the compact. He carefully walked over and then took the compact into his hands, inspecting the video. "… Hey, yer Minnie's friend." He recognized her but couldn't quite put the face to a name. It had something to do with flowers. "Uh… Rose, or Sunflower?"

"Who would name their kid Sunflower?" Daisy rolled her eyes, but then realized insulting his intelligence was the last thing she needed to do right now. "My name is Daisy. I… I need your help."

Mickey raised an eyebrow. "Where did ye get this? We're the only ones with this technology." Or so he had been told by his benefactor. "Don't tell me Goofy gave it ta the wrong lass!"

"It's not important how I got it." Daisy tried to avoid any unnecessary questions and instead went for the point again. "What's important is, I want your help, and if you do it for me, I can give you something you want."

Mickey faked a yawn to show his dissatisfaction. "Help out a N.A.V.Y. lass? Ye girls don't think much a me at all. Sounds like a trap ta me." He moved his hand and appeared ready to close the compact and end the conversation.

Daisy believed the only thing she could do was dig this grave deeper for herself. "I-It's about Minnie!" Mickey's hand stopped and Daisy's guilt increased tenfold. She didn't want to involve her best friend in this deal, but surely Minnie would understand. This was a precautionary measure and had to be done. "If you help me out, I promise you something big towards her! Something you'll really want about her! If we meet up, I can give you a preview!"

Mickey licked rum off of his lips. Though he was still inclined to believe this was some kind of trap, his insatiable drive for Minnie could not let him refuse this deal. He remembered from his time on the Hawkins how Minnie would talk of Daisy and the two were almost like sisters. If anyone knew Minnie well, it had to be Daisy. He didn't see this as any kind of betrayal, and slowly nodded. "… Suppose I got some free time. Tell ye what, Marigold-"

"_Daisy_."

"-Lily, remember that nice lil' bar ye girls were assigned ta look over the other day?" Wearing a confident smile, he held up two fingers. "Let's ye and I meet up there in two days. Bring me the goods, and we'll see what I can do fer ye. Got a deal?"

Daisy nodded in agreement. It wouldn't be too hard to convince her superiors that she should go back to the bar for a follow up investigation. "We have a deal." The video then abruptly went black, and Daisy understood that Mickey had closed the compact and had hung up on her. She pouted and closed her own compact. "He didn't even say goodbye! How rude." Ignoring her glaring hypocrisy once more, she stuck the compact under her mattress and began to slide out another hidden treasure. This was what she intended to trade for help and knew only Mickey would want it. As long as no one found out what she was going to do with it, no one would get hurt. Minnie would forgive her, as would Donald.

As she went over which of her 'treasures' to take for the bar deal, she twisted her engagement ring on her finger without meaning to do so. She twisted it over, and over, and over.

* * *

><p>The afternoon that Daisy was making her ill fated decisions was a particularly sunny one. It was lovely weather to bask in and many people chose to eat outside that day. Morgana was one of them but thanks to the topic of the conversation she was having, her appetite was dwindling. With her head being supported by one hand, she was using a free finger to move the ice in her glass, listening to the faint clink it made. She only stopped when the head of the table was staring right at her. Morgana calmly sat up straight and flicked some water off of her finger. "I'm sorry, Auntie, could you say that again?"<p>

Magica had her hands folded on the table, looking annoyed but still dignified. "Is something the matter with your food, Morgana? You've barely touched it. We can always send it back and get you something else." She then looked to her left at the third guest at the table. "How is your meal, Doctor Bushroot?"

Doctor Reginald Bushroot paused in eating his salad, causing a sliver of lettuce to stick out of his beak. He was a balding duck with many years behind him, and he sheepishly took the sliver out of his mouth to answer the question. 'Oh, it's, uh, really good, Miss De Spell! Simply scrumptious. I've never eaten in the air before!" He gestured with his fork to their surroundings. The trio was eating on one of Magica's personal air ships, a cruise ship that was filled to the brim with people working for the De Spell group. The trio was eating their lunch outside on a white table, letting the occasional gust of air go through their hair and feathers.

Magica smiled at the compliment. "Sometimes I can't imagine eating any other way. And I always think a meeting should be more than just talking." Her hard look was on Morgana again, a silent way of telling her to pay attention and give Magica the information she was asking for. "How is that dreadful business with the Justice Ducks going? We still haven't gotten any donations from Drake Mallard."

Morgana's hesitation was more embarrassing than Reginald's lettuce mishap. Her cheeks went tomato red and her eyes avoided contact with Magica. "… It's complicated, Auntie." She forced herself to speak, knowing there was no way Magica could understand the emotional problems Morgana was facing. "None of our research told me that he had a daughter."

"A daughter!" Bushroot repeated in disbelief, twirling his fork around the remaining vegetables. "Geez, the guy is fighting crime and raising a family… where is his free time? I'd go nuts in his shoes… or his cape." He smiled but the joke didn't fly and if Magica's intensified glare said anything, this wasn't his debate to intrude on.

"I fail to see what's so complicated about it." Magica's eyes contained anger but her face was kind and smiling wide. "If anything, it gives us another advantage. We know his true identity and his finances, and know we know he has family. If he continues to try and investigate my company and the notebook, we know exactly where to put the pressure on. I should hope you made that perfectly clear to him. I'd hate to think all of those dates I paid for resulted in nothing."

Morgana squirmed in her seat and grabbed her glass to drink, hoping to stall for answers by drinking. She knew about the illegal side jobs of the De Spell group but she didn't think Magica would go so far as to threaten a child's life. Morgana was raised by her father since her mother had died in childbirth, and so she had admired the single father aspect she had seen in Drake. She had become fond of him during their dates and now this devotion to his daughter had sealed the deal. She liked him, perhaps even loved him, but if Magica got a whiff of that, nobody was safe. She emptied her glass and managed to create a suitable answer. "He understood full well why I was there and what I knew. He shouldn't be bothering us anymore."

Magica clapped her hands once in approval. "Splendid! Once Darkwing gives up on the investigation, his followers will do the same. It'll save us a lot of work." With that matter resolved, she faced Bushroot. "And when we're sure he's no longer a thorn in our side, your team can move forward. I'm already greatly impressed by what you and your coworkers have been able to accomplish."

Bushroot sighed in relief, glad that the awkward family chatter was over for now. "We all really appreciate your financial efforts, Miss De Spell. Thanks to you and your finds, we're entering brand new fields of science! We're not just advancing history, but also technology and psychology! If our theories are right, the world will never be the same again!" His voice rose as he became more excited, his fists wrapped tightly around his utensils. "Your findings… they're like nothing I've ever seen before! With a few more experiments, and that last excavation, we'll have attained a power source that defies every book and every genius! And when we announce what we know, those fools who kicked me out of the university will understand how wrong they were!" He triumphantly rose out of his seat and also knocked it over. "They called me insane! They called me mad! They said I was balding! Well, who's balding now? _Who's balding now_?" What followed was laughter that could only be described as maniacal.

Magica waited until he was finished to speak. "Would you care for a refill?" She pointed to his empty of glass of water.

Bushroot looked down, and set his seat up right. "Oh, that would be just lovely, thank you." He sat back down while Magica waved to a servant to have his glass refilled.

Magica leaned back into her chair as the water was served. "I do feel lucky that I was able to find your group. I also feel it was just awful how they kicked the four of you out of the university just for a few minor mishaps." Morgana quietly wondered when experimenting on your fellow colleagues became minor mishaps. "Our corporation has had so many advancements thanks to all of your hard work. It's just a shame we can't let people know it's you four coming up with our technology… perhaps when that 'Fearsome Four' nickname dies down."

Reginald sipped his new water. "It's all right, we can wait. It's those gosh darn newspaper that gave us that nickname when we got booted out… We were renowned in our field, and the smartest people in the university, but you try to do one live brain replacement surgery, and suddenly you're 'Fearsome'." He shrugged in misunderstanding. "But maybe it was a blessing in disguise. The four of us working under you in secrecy has helped advance our research way more than we did in public. It almost makes me glad I was kicked out." With the word 'almost', he put down his glass. "…Almost… I actually wanted to talk about our deal, Miss De Spell…. About Rhoda?"

Magica began to stand up. "What a coincidence, Doctor. I asked you here to talk about the very same matter." She picked up her golden staff, and the purple crystal that adorned the top of it shined in the sunlight. "If you would come with me for just a moment…" She began to walk towards the railings of the ship and Bushroot eagerly followed, which puzzled Morgana. They weren't so far away that Morgana couldn't hear them, so why did Magica feel the need to move? Morgana felt something twist in her stomach as they approached the railings. Magica's attachments to her staff nearly boarded on unhealthy levels and something bad always seemed to happen whenever she was holding it. Morgana kept quiet as she watched the two talk.

Bushroot gulped as he looked over the edge of the railing. "I-it's a good thing I don't have a fear of heights, or I'd be terrified right about now." He could just barely see the top of the tallest towers in the city. He pulled his head back and spoke to Magica, a little nervous about what he wanted to discuss. "With Rhoda… it's all a big misunderstanding. If I could just talk to her, I'm sure she'd understand. And… when we were offered to join up with your group, you said you'd make the restraining order she has against me disappear."

"My memory is clear." Magica ran her hand back and forth over the purple crystal. "It's adorable how attached you are to her. Why, the others in your group have told me sometimes you'll abandon work to see how she's doing. I bet if she knew about your level of devotion, she wouldn't find it creepy about it all." She raised her eyes toward Bushroot and sighed in mock sadness. "Why, sometimes I think you devote yourself more to her than to your work."

Bushroot blushed and scratched the back of my head. "Well, what can I say? That's love! I'd do anything for her… yeah, you're right. I am more devoted to her." He chuckled, feeling warmhearted that someone understood how true his love for Rhoda was.

Magica tenderly pet Bushroot on the shoulder, and he ducked his head in humility. "The problem with that, dear Doctor… is that I can't have anyone devoting themselves to something other than their work. Especially for something as trivial as love." Bushroot then felt both of Magica's hands on his shoulders, and then a shove, and then…

… And then he was gone. It wasn't long before his screams fell down with him and the boat was silent. Magica smoothed down her dress, and headed right back to the table, cheerfully pointing a question to her horrified niece. "Do you feel like having desert? I'm in such a mood for devil's food cake."

* * *

><p>When Jane had taken over Amelia's place, Minnie had wondered if now she had a chance to prove herself by being given more 'real' assignments instead of kitchen duty. Her hopes had gone high with the undercover bar assignment, but it turned out Minnie was only trusted with it because she was paired with capable privates. It turned out that Amelia had warned Jane heavily of Minnie's past failures and so Minnie was given her lackluster kitchen duties again. The same day as Daisy's deceit and Morgana's mortification, Minnie was supposed to scrub the kitchen floors until they were sparkling clean despite having scrubbed them the entire weekend already. That Monday, Minnie decided to give herself an assignment since not a speck of dirt could be found in that kitchen.<p>

Many superior privates were given patrol duty, in which they would walk around town and handle any problems they saw. How hard could that be? That was why Minnie strutted confidently around the city, figuring that she couldn't possibly get in any trouble. Jane had thought taking care of the kitchen was an all day job and so hadn't given Minnie any assignments to do when it was finished. Thus Minnie's logic said giving herself a patrol assignment was valid. She held her head high as she walked around the town, and was a little disappointed to find that the city was peaceful. There was no trouble in sight.

She would have given her left arm for trouble, because peace meant she could think, and if she could think then her thoughts would gravitate to Mickey. That terrible jerk had been terribly romantic and it was driving her crazy. Every time she recalled his words about her smile, she had to stop in place and smack her cheeks to stop her fervent blushing. He couldn't have meant any of that. It had to be all head games. Heart-throbbing, dashing, charming, incredibly romantic head games.

She also kept wondering what would have happened if Ortensia hadn't barged in, and found herself still angry at the cat. It wasn't that Ortensia was Minnie's rival or anything so stupid as that, but that Ortensia was being so annoying hopeless with her desires. Mickey was never going to see Ortensia as nothing more than a sister. Mickey only had feelings for Minnie, and, well, it wasn't that Minnie liked that, but what could she do about it? Ortensia would just have to get over it. Mickey was – well Mickey wasn't _Minnie's_, per se, but he wasn't Ortensia's either, and he'd never be Ortensia's.

Minnie stopped in place again, but this time not to attack her cheeks. Instead she delicately traced her lips with her fingers. Was her smile really beautiful? No one had ever complimented it before. People had called her pretty and cute, usually childish terms, and Mortimer's eyes usually went uncomfortably downward when he talked to her. Minnie didn't know smiles could be considered beautiful. Mickey's smile wasn't too bad. It suited him to smile.

Thinking of that made her smile honestly. She traced and retraced her lips as she thought of his smile. Yet as she continued to think on it, he had more than just one kind of smile. There was his playful smile, his happy smile, a smirk of deviousness, a gold toothed grin of glee… and they all tended to happen when the two of them were together. She tried to reason with herself, that of course he would smile when she wasn't around. There were other things that made him happy. Still, despite it all, she really did love that smile of this.

"What?" She yelled out loud, oblivious to the startled people around her. "No I don't! No I don't!" She slapped her cheeks so hard that they were reddened more by her attack than actually blushing. Did she actually use that dreadful l-word about him? "No I didn't!" She began to run without any destination in mind. She didn't l-word anything about him! He was terrible! His smile was hideous! It didn't create butterflies in her stomach – those were maggots! Nothing was going to happen if Ortensia didn't barge in! Let Ortensia have him! "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!"

Running while having crazy emotional spouts of denial is not a healthy exercise, and this proved itself when she tripped on the sidewalk and fell face first on the stairs of an old porch. Groaning, she slowly sat on her knees and rubbed her sore nose. This is what she got for wishing for a distraction. She was about to stand and leave when she saw blue smoke coming out from under the front door of the house whose porch she fell on. The weirdness escalated when she heard a woman within the home scream, and a male voice announce himself. "I am the terror that flaps in the night!"

It sounded like the strangest home burglary Minnie had ever heard of, but it was also her chance to prove herself. Removing her pistol from her belt, she ran up the porch steps and swung the door open, aiming for whatever danger she would find within. "Freeze! You're under arrest for trespassing, home invasion, and burglary!"

The woman who had screamed was backed into a corner in fright. She was a very tall duck with tiny spectacles resting on her beak, though she was probably no older than Clarabelle. Her long blonde hair was curled up behind her back, and her light pink dress echoed her light pink home. As for the man, he was notably shorter than the miss, perhaps only a few inches taller than Minnie. He was dressed rather ridiculously in purple and black, sporting a fedora, cape, and jacket, and looking very irritated at Minnie. "You interrupted my introduction speech! Do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with my quips?"

Minnie didn't move from her spot and kept her aim on the masked weirdo. "Put your hands behind your back! Ma'am, are you all right?"

The woman nodded quickly and tried to get out of her corner. "He just… came out of nowhere, babbling some nonsense!"

Darkwing's ego was taking a beating, but he knew he had to calm these women down before trying to repair his narcissism. "I'm not home invading, trespassing, or stealing anything! I'm here strictly for investigation purposes, for the disappearance of Scrooge McDuck!" To prove it, he waved to the blonde woman. "You are Miss Fiona Rapson, a newspaper reporter who got promoted when Nancy Tremaine left the business to marry Prince Edward, and one of Scrooge McDuck's former lovers!"

Minnie looked at Fiona and lowered her pistol in shock. "… Lovers? But, he's ancient! She's got to be less than half his age!"

"Yeah yeah, we've established that already." Darkwing rubbed his temples in remembering what he longed to forget.

Fiona's fear began to turn into anger and she cast a quick look to the door to see if any more people would invade her home. "What Mister McDuck and I did was nobody's business but ours! You can't honestly think I had anything to do with his disappearance!"

"I'm just trying to clear all possible suspects." Darkwing eyed Minnie out of the corner of his mask. He could have sworn he'd seen her somewhere before, but where? It was going to nag at him until he found out. He never could leave a mystery unturned. "While you were working with Miss Tremaine, you were conducting interviews with Scrooge, and had plans to publish a tell-all expose book when you found the dirt. Is that right?" Minnie knew she should still be arresting the purple creep, but the line of questioning was interesting. She had also been wondering what had happened to Scrooge McDuck, as Daisy had been visibly upset when her future uncle-in-law had vanished.

Fiona sat down in a big red chair with her arms crossed. "Maybe I was, but obviously it didn't go anywhere. Once I got to know Scrooge, I couldn't possibly publish that book." With a faint and wistful sigh, she put a hand on her heart and her eyes became distant. "He even let me in the museum before the official opening. He's such a prince charming."

Darkwing raised a hand to interrupt her romance novel. "There's really no need for intimate details, Miss Rapson. _Really_ no need." Who the N.A.V.Y. girl was continued to tug at his mind, and he felt he almost had it. "I just want to know where you were the night he disappeared, and if during your interviews you learned anything, like if he had any enemies or if someone would want him out of the way."

Fiona looked somewhat disappointed that she couldn't go on about her and Scrooge's passionate affair. "Are you kidding? Him and Magica were constantly at each other's throats, and he's got more business competitors than there are clouds in the sky. He was nasty to strangers and never donated to any charities. I'll give you the notes on the interviews, if it will get you out of my house." She stood up and retreated to the next room to get them.

Darkwing then snapped his fingers as the pieces came together in his mind. "Now I remember!" he turned around to directly talk to Minnie. "You're that rookie who bungled the museum opening and caused Captain Mickey to escape from the Hawkins! Private Miniature!"

Minnie's pistol pointed straight at his beak with her anger already firing at him. "I am not a rookie! And those things weren't my fault!... Weren't mostly my fault! My name is Private Minerva, and who are you? I should still arrest you for entering this woman's home without permission!"

Darkwing wasn't intimidated by the weapon, and instead chose to take the opportunity to redo his introduction speech. "I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the one who tells actors 'good luck' instead of break a leg! I am… Darkwing Duck!" He flapped his cape and expected wonder and astonishment from the little girl. What he got was the pistol shoved further in his face. "Hey! Don't tell me you've never heard of the Justice Ducks? I'm their leader!"

Minnie pulled back her pistol only a little. "The Justice Ducks? They're that vigilante group that's always in the newspapers. Captain Amelia told us all about you… you and your men need to keep yourselves out of criminal investigations, and leave it to the professionals! People like you put civilians in danger."

Darkwing snorted and leaned in, going so far as to push the pistol down with his hand. "And people like you forget to reenter security codes, so pirates can ransack museums. Not that I'm surprised… the N.A.V.Y. doesn't do any good. Crime fighting should be left to the men."

Minnie would have gladly given him a kick to a certain area and made him half a man but Fiona came back to the room before revenge could be taken. In her hands was a heavy folder filled to the brim with typed notes. "Here are all of my interviews. I don't need them anymore. The last one should be when we were talking about Doctor Thatch's notebook, the one in the McDuck Museum."

The sexist squabble was dropped when Fiona spoke of the notebook, for she unknowingly said volumes to both crime fighters. "That's just what I need!" Darkwing took the folder into his hands, tempted to try and start reading it right there. "I just know that notebook is the cause behind everything!"

"That's the notebook that Captain Mickey was trying to steal during the museum robbery!" Minnie put her pistol back in her belt, far more interested in uncovering this mystery than attacking anyone. "He specifically had to have it, and the rest of the robbery was a distraction. Mister Duck, if you know anything about that notebook and why Mickey was paid to take it, you have to tell me!" If she could follow the bread crumbs and reveal the real reason why the pirates attacked the museum that night, that maybe her reputation could heal.

Darkwing held his arms out in an attempt to keep it as far away from Minnie as possible. "I don't have to tell you anything, rookie. The Justice Ducks can handle this case just fine on their own. Why don't you go back and help rob a bank?"

"Actually," Fiona stepped in closer to the two. "I'd like you to help out Private Minnie." She then yanked back her folder, holding it high above Darkwing in a mocking fashion, considering his height. "Or else I'm not going to let you have my interviews."

"What!" Darkwing kept his eyes solely on the folder as he tried to think of harmless ways to snatch it back. He could feel Minnie's smirk boring right into his back. "Why not?"

"I heard what you said about women when I was in the other room." Fiona smiled stiffly down at him and teasingly dangled the folder above him. "And with Nancy gone, I can write fully fledged articles now. I can already think of a good headline now…Justice Ducks Just Invaded Civilian Home!"

Darkwing mentally debated how to win this battle, and then he noticed Minnie had started leaning in closer. "You know," Minnie couldn't resist adding. "You remind me of someone else who couldn't fight women. You don't seem the type to be able to hit a girl." Minnie never thought she would be grateful for misogyny, especially not twice.

Darkwing was between a rock and a hard place, and felt smashed in between them. He put a hand over his eyes in defeat, lamenting the final blow to his precious ego. "Ho-ooookay, _fine_. And I thought Magica was crooked…"

* * *

><p>Fiona wasn't the only woman that day who was concerned with Scrooge's disappearance. Far off in the Kingdom of America, Goldie O'Glit was going over her mail and throwing most of it away in her fireplace in frustration. What had that fool Scrooge gotten himself into now? Maybe he was just doing this to spite her and the whole wedding idea. She knew that idea couldn't possibly be true, but she was more comfortable believing that than with the idea of Scrooge being in danger. It had to be his stubborn fault somehow.<p>

The final mail item was a small brown package. She didn't care who it was from or what was in it and was ready to heave it into the fireplace as well. She needed something to do to vent her worry, and that usually came out in destructive ways. She lifted her arm to hurl it, when a demanding beeping reached her. She grumbled as she lowered her arm, knowing it meant someone was calling her via video. Someone had been trying to call her day, but she had been refusing calls since Scrooge's disappearance, as she was in no mood to speak to anyone.

Fed up with whoever this persistent person was, she decided she could use this as another way to vent. Whoever was on the other side had better be ready to have their ears blasted off! She marched to her video screen placed up on the wall, and pressed the button to open her line. "Who in tarnation do you think you are - " Her rant was instantly stopped when the screen showed who was on the other line.

Scrooge McDuck stood there, without a feather out of place. The area he was in had been lighted so that while it was clear to see him, it was impossible to tell where he was. He was well dressed and wasn't harmed, but there was something unnatural about his eyes. They seemed faded and distorted, like there was no life to them. Goldie reached out to touch the screen, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Scrooge…? Is that you? Where are you?"

"You have gotten my package." Scrooge's voice was as flat and dull as his eyes. They contained no trace of emotion. Not even anger, or a type of disdain. He was just speaking. That was it. "Open it."

"Where have you been, you darn fool!" Goldie banged her fist to the screen, and then quickly checked her outfit. If she had known he was calling, she would have dressed in something much nicer, and maybe done something with her hair. "Everyone's been worried! I ought to come over there and hog tie you to my carriage!" While it sounded like a threat, it was her way of caring, and she knew Scrooge understood it. Magica and Scrooge's fights were tame compared to the way she and Scrooge would harass each other. She expected Scrooge to snap back at her and compare her to a hog.

Scrooge only said "Open it," with the same lack of inflection. She wondered if he was even blinking.

Though she was unnerved by his of lack of emotion, she tried not to show it, and began opening the package. "Fine, but whatever you got me won't make up for what you've done. You can't win me over with fits. Why heck, for this, you ought to get me the most expensive wedding dress that even the king can't afford!" Inside the package was a small blue felt box, and in that box was a gold wedding bang. "What's this?" She already had her engagement ring firmly on her finger and had never taken it off. She lifted her head to the screen, and saw Scrooge had raised his hand to show how bare it was. What was in the box was his engagement ring.

"I'm canceling the wedding." Scrooge said, and only said, he did nothing else. "I'm on a personal vacation. I'll be back soon. Don't tell anyone about our engagement. It never happened." His screen went black, and he was gone.

Goldie dropped the package, and the ring rolled on the floor. "Scrooge?" She asked helplessly, despite knowing he had hung up. "Scrooge? Scrooge!" She began to bang both fists against the screen, banging them over and over, even as the screen began to crack and her hands began to bleed. "Scrooge! Scrooge! _Scrooge_!"

* * *

><p>The day was over and the night had brought unforgiving cold. Millie thought it was appropriate for the place she was visiting. She had also ended her duties early that day on purpose, as there was a place she wanted to go on this special day. She hadn't told anyone about this day's significance, not even Goofy. She bought a fresh bouquet at the closest flower shop she could find before going to the docks and gazing over the ocean waters. The tears had started the moment she left the shop and she felt no need to brush them away now.<p>

She knelt down, and gently placed the bouquet on the water. "I love you, daddy." She whispered to the water as it began to drift the bouquet away. This was the anniversary of her father's death by the pirate Devil Eyes, the same legendary scoundrel who had kidnapped the princess of America thirty years ago. He had been buried at sea, and Millie hadn't wanted to bother her friends by telling them what she was doing that night. She thought it was better to burden the pain all alone. So invested in her sadness was she, that she never realized someone had followed her from the flower shop.

Nor had she noticed when that same person approached her from behind. What happened next couldn't be ignored. A white cloth came over her face, and Millie shrieked in shocked fright. A slim arm came around her body to try and hold her, and Millie fought in the attacker's grip. The cloth was soaked in chloroform, and in Millie's panic, she inhaled the right amount to make her lose her senses. It wasn't long before she slumped over in her attacker's arms, unconscious.

The attacked picked her up and began to carry her off. The moon reflected off of the attacker's golden armband.

**End Of Chapter Fourteen.**


	15. Family Versus Fiend

My beautiful editor Lies is starting school, so give her lots of shiny apples for her hard work. Also, for those of you who love TV tropes, this story has its own page now! Feel free to go on and make your own edits.

* * *

><p>April showers bring May flowers. This April day was raining heavily as Oswald was being transferred from his temporary jail cell to the iron carriage that would take him to court. He didn't bother to look up as the rain hit him, and kept his eyes solely on the ground. His wrists and ankles had been handcuffed, and it felt as if every N.A.V.Y. woman who was guiding him to the carriage was glaring at him. Normally he would have barked at them and told them to show him proper respect. Now he didn't feel he had any left.<p>

Since his arrest, he had believed his father would come and bail him out. His father hadn't even shown up to visit once, nor had he sent any messages. Oswald was on his own, and what saddened him most of all was that he wasn't surprised. His father had always preferred his brothers better, and Oswald couldn't measure up to them. He was the family failure, and now he had gotten in way over his head. In hindsight, perhaps chasing blindly after a woman who met his embraces with kicks to the face wasn't the brightest of ideas.

He sat in the cold iron carriage, and the doors slammed behind him. He heard the turns of the wheels and the hooves of the horses beating on the pavement. He stared down at his hands, and began to understand it had been his pride and jealousy that put these handcuffs on him. He had always believed himself to be in the right, and that he could never get in trouble for his actions. He had tried so hard to get his father's attention that he got the wrong attention from everyone else. He was a hated man.

Self loathing and pity continued to build up inside of him until his large ears detected something strange. The hoof beats had started becoming irregular, and he heard startled cries coming from the N.A.V.Y. women outside. There was only one barred window above him, and he tried to get on his knees to see outside. As soon as he looked out, the carriage began picking up speed, and if he hadn't grabbed the bars he would have fallen backwards. From what little he could see, they were running out of the city and getting as far away from the public eye as possible.

"Hey!" Oswald tried to catch the attention of the carriage drivers. "What's going on? Where are we going?" But he got no response, no matter how many times and how loud he made his voice. Grumbling, he sat back down, and silently pondered what had happened. Were the girls taking a different route? Or did they want to lay into him privately? He mulled over all the different possibilities, but none of them were close to what was happening. The rain had begun to thin by the time the carriage came to a sudden stop.

The door to the carriage began to shake. Someone was messing with the locks, as they didn't have the key for it. A shot rang out, and then the door slowly began to open. Oswald gripped his fists, ready to defend himself if need be, and stood up to face whatever danger this could be. When the door was fully opened, only one figured climbed into the carriage. "Aw, rich boy gunna put up a fight, after all I've done fer ye?" There stood Ortensia, hands on her hips, a smoking gun on her belt.

Oswald forgot all of his self learned lessons at once. "Ortensiaaaa!" His savior! His angel! His goddess of mercy! He ran towards her with arms outstretched, not expecting her to swiftly move to the left. He fell right out of the carriage and face first into a fresh pile of mud. He quickly sat up, staring up at his benefactor who kept herself out of the rain. He could see they were near an abandoned harbor on the outskirts of the city, and spotted a few familiar figures from Mickey's ship on the carriage.

"If ye can keep yer hands to yerself…" Ortensia turned to face him, and tried to keep herself out of his hugging range. "I want a favor done. Ye now owe me one, seein' as I got ye outta jail time." She then squatted down to meet his eyes better. "I'm willin' to put the whole business ye had with Pistol Peg behind me if ye help me out. Whaddya say?"

"Of course!" Oswald fumbled to stand up straight and wound up splashing mud all over his body in doing so. "Oh, I'd do _anything_ for you, Ortensia!"

Ortensia grinned, each of her sharpest fangs glistening. "I was hopin' ye would say that."

* * *

><p>The rain had thinned, but it was still annoying persistent. Minnie regretted not bringing her umbrella as she came to Albert Bridge that day, as per Darkwing's instructions. The bridge was quiet this time of day, and Minnie couldn't understand why he would want to meet up here. As she walked up and down the bridge, she heard wet footsteps jogging to catch up with her. When she turned around, she saw a large muscular bird trying to get her attention. He had orange hair bursting from his forehead, a goggled helmet resting on his head, and an elongated scarf twisted around his neck. His attire suggested a pilot, yet lacked the colors found in the A.R.M.Y.<p>

He slowed down and tried to catch his breath when he was in front of her. "Whew… Private Minerva Mouse, right?"

"Yes?" She raised an eyebrow, knowing she hadn't met this man before. "Who are you? How do you know me?" She hoped it wasn't from the newspapers about her disaster rookie antics.

"Darkwing Duck told me to be on the lookout for a short N.A.V.Y. girl on our bridge!" He smiled pleasantly at her, and then offered his large hand to shake. "The name's Launchpad McQuack! I'm part of the Justice Ducks. I'll be taking you to our secret hideout!"

Minnie politely shook his hand. So far he seemed much friendlier than Darkwing, so perhaps there was hope for this vigilante group after all. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. McQuack."

"Mr. McQuack is my dad! Just call me Launchpad." With the introductions finished, he began to lead her down the bridge and she obediently followed. "I gotta say, I'm surprised DW's letting you know about us. He's never let a girl in our group before. Maybe he's expanding his horizons!" Minnie wasn't surprised that Darkwing hadn't mentioned being blackmailed into letting her come and she tried not to smile. "Here we go." He stopped at one of the bridge's tiers, and knocked three times in different areas. The wall shook for one second, and then slid to a side, revealing a winding spiral staircase downward.

"This looks very expensive." Minnie commented as the two walked inside. The 'door' closed behind them as soon as they shared the first steps on the stairs. "How was he able to do this to the bridge without anyone noticing?"

"Sorry, miss." Launchpad shrugged and the two began to walk down. "I don't think I can let you in on all the details just yet. Gotta keep everything hush hush, you know?"

"I don't like secrets." But Minnie didn't press it, deciding she needed all the friendliness she could get when dealing with this group. Amelia had hammered it into all of her girls that vigilante justice couldn't be trusted and could easily lead to even more violence. Minnie's idolization of Amelia made her believe every word, so she hoped her dear leader would never find out what Minnie was doing. At the bottom of the stairs was a single room, no bigger than Minnie's bedroom. There was one video screen, a long table covered in folders and notes and surrounded by far too many chairs, a miniature fridge hugged the corner, and the walls were plastered with newspaper clippings. It lacked any sign of Darkwing.

"Well?" Minnie asked the dark room as she got off the last stair step. "Where is he?"

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!" Blue smoke appeared on top of the table, and a familiar figure began to solidify in the smoke. "I am the glass slipper that you left behind at the ball! I am… Darkwing Duck!" He fully appeared with a swirl of his cape, standing triumphantly on the table.

"I know who you are!" Minnie snapped, trying to wave the remainders of the smoke away. "You invited me here! For goodness sake…" Launchpad looked to be used to such shenanigans, as he went to the fridge and poured Minnie a glass of water to help when the smoke made her cough. She thanked him and unhappily took a seat.

"You really need to get an understanding for dramatic flair." Darkwing jumped off the table. "Now, where's PK? I invited him to this meeting too." Minnie's asking of who PK was got interrupted by a loud quack at the top of the stairs and then the sound of a body falling down, down, down, until it was a comically injured heap at the bottom. "Hey, you're coming when your name is announced!" Darkwing gave light applause as the body tried to stand. "You might be getting the hang of this hero business after all."

PK unsteadily stood up, blaming his cape for the fall. "Thanks… I think… what's the emergency meeting for?" He smoothed down his costume and then his eyes fell on Minnie. He froze, jaw dropping as he recognized the best friend of his fiancé. "Minnie?"

"Donald!" Minnie jumped out of her seat, seeing past his hidden identity. She'd know that peculiar voice anywhere, mask or not.

Realizing his mistake, Donald cleared his throat, looking to the other heroes for help. "What? No, no, I'm… I'm PK, the Avenger! Who's Donald?" Launchpad began pouring more glasses for the guests while Darkwing slapped a hand to his forehead.

Minnie stormed up to Donald and in one quick motion yanked off his black mask. "Did you really think you could fool anyone looking like that? Daisy is going to be furious when she hears about this!"

"You can't tell Daisy!" He grabbed his mask back and tried to put it back on. "She'll kill me! I need to do something heroic before I can tell her about this! And what are you doing here anyway?"

Darkwing snapped his fingers to get everyone's attention and took a seat at the head of the table. "As fascinating as his love life is, we need to stick to why I invited you here. We've all got information to share, and we need to pool it together. Right now, we're all allies." Minnie eyed Donald, and the two quietly sat in their seats. Darkwing held out the same book with the taped notebook pages inside that he had shown Donald during their first meetings. "Let's start with Doctor Thatch's notebook."

An hour passed as they shared information, and Minnie was amazed at how much they had uncovered. She felt relieved when Donald explained Donna's role, and Minnie wished she could alleviate Daisy's fears about the two of them together. When she believed she had gotten it all and understood everything, she felt comfortable with asking questions. "So no one ever tried to find Doctor Thatch and his group, or see if he left anything but his notebooks? I can't believe everyone would just give up like that."

Darkwing sorted through the mess on the table until he found a red folder. "Actually, there was going to be one more attempt at finding their remains." He opened the folder and began sorting out old photographs for them to see. "One of his remaining family members was engaged to the Princess of America, Edna Wolf, who also happened to be next in line for the crown. The King of America planned to fund his future son-in-law's expedition as an act of good faith, but on the day of the wedding, they were attacked by the pirate Devil Eyes."

Minnie circled the top of her glass with her finger in thought. "Devil Eyes… I think I've heard that name before." She tried to recall where exactly, and then nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's right… my friend Millicent. Her father was in the A.R.M.Y, and he was killed by Devil Eyes while Millie's mother was pregnant with her." Come to think of it, she hadn't heard from Millicent since the other day, but perhaps she was on assignment somewhere and was too busy for friendly chat.

Donald raised a hand to try and get a word in. "Uh, who is Devil Eyes? That's not really his name, right?"

"Not unless his parents were into theatrics." Darkwing gestured to the photos and showed that among the photos of the royal family, there was nothing of Devil Eyes. "They called him that because rumor had it when people looked at his eyes, they could see hell. On the day of the wedding, he and his crew attacked, ransacked the entire palace. That probably would have been it, but the princess's brother, Barnaby, tried to attack Devil Eyes. In retribution, Devil Eyes kidnapped the princess. The King was so devastated that he cancelled the expedition and instead focused all of his money and military efforts to try and get her back."

Minnie reached forward to take some of the photos in order to get a better look. Edna was a plump woman, and appeared to carry humility in her smile. "As you can guess," Darkwing continued, "They never found her. He probably killed her just to spite Barnaby. Eventually Devil Eyes vanished, and no one knew where he went. His crew disbanded, and what few could be captured refused to say where he went or what happened to the princess."

"Poor princess." Launchpad quietly commented. "She looked like she was a nice lady." No one argued that, and her photo did seem to capture a sense of grace and kindness.

"What about the princess's fiancé?" Minnie asked after a respective pause, not wanting to tread on the memory of the princess. "Has there been no attempt at the expedition since then?"

Darkwing pointed to a newspaper clipping on the wall, announcing the upcoming coronation of Barnaby Wolf. "Well, from the looks of it, the King has finally given up finding her, and is handing over the crown to Barnaby. If Magica wanted the notebook from Scrooge's museum, it's possible she didn't want anyone learning any more about Thatch. It's also possible that when Barnaby gets crowned, he could try the search again, and Magica wouldn't want that. We'll have to keep our eyes open for that. But!" he waved his hands to clear the matter. "Enough about ancient history. Launchpad, did you look into what I asked?"

"You got it, DW!" Launchpad sat upright, looking happy to be of service. "The Doctor who fell from the sky!"

Minnie winced as she knew exactly what he was talking about. "I just read about that in the newspapers… that man who jumped to his death, Doctor Reginald Bushroot?" Donald shuddered at the imagery of a falling death, and chugged down a fresh glass of water.

Launchpad nodded before doing his own explanations. "Sure, the papers are calling it a suicide, but me and DW got some other ideas. See, he and three other guys used to work in this big university. They were the smartest guys around, but they got kicked out for doing all kinds of creepy experiments, and if you ask me, it sounds like Thatch would've been best buds with them if he ever had the chance. The papers called them the Fearsome Four, and then they disappeared from the public eye. No one knew where they went or what they were doing, until a lady named Rhoda Dendron began filing restraining orders against Bushroot. Pretty weird to get one of those when you don't know where the guy lives, huh?"

Donald managed to get over some of his heebie jeebies with enough water to add into the conversation. "What's that got to do with us?" He was also getting curious about all of these people supposedly vanishing without a trace. Either there were a lot of missing bodies through this history, or it was getting easier to hide yourselves than he thought.

Launchpad began to refill everyone's glasses. "The Fearsome Four were studying the same stuff as Thatch. Ancient civilizations, their power sources, and all of that other alternative energy head turners. Really complicated stuff. They just got out of hand with trying a live brain surgery. Those guys were obsessed about brains most of all. They wanted to find ways to control the brain, and understand it better. The day Bushroot died, one of Magica's airships was above the city, and we don't believe in coincidences around here."

Minnie did believe in coincidences, which is why she frowned at the implications Launchpad was making. Though all the men had made interesting points about Magica, there was very little solid proof. What proof they had found had been found couldn't be brought to court as it been obtained through illegal means. She was also feeling very useless, as she had yet to bring anything to the table. An idea began to form in her head, and although it put distaste in her mouth, she knew she had to grab at what little opportunities she had. "… I think I can help bring Miss De Spell to justice."

Darkwing propped his elbows on the table and cupped his face. "Oh, _reaaaaally_, miss rookie?" All respect Minnie had gained toward him evaporated with each word from his condescending tone. "Do tell, how do you think you can bring her to justice when we can't?"

Minnie bit back bile and went forth with her volunteerism. "Captain Mickey and his crew were hired to take the notebook, and if what you told me is correct, he is the one they go to for most of their heists. I want to try and see if he can get me evidence about what she's done. He might have the proof we need."

Darkwing tapped his fingers together in contemplation. He was intrigued, but he still didn't trust his blackmailer. "What makes you think he'll tell you anything?"

Minnie averted her eyes away, trying to word it without exactly lying. "… We have… an understanding." She knew it was the understatement of the year, but she also knew that if Darkwing knew the real reason, he'd never let her live it down.

Alas, Donald ruined her plan. "If by understanding you mean he wants to marry you. Daisy told me all about it." He didn't get why Minnie groaned in agony in response and certainly didn't understand why she felt the need to kick his shin under the table.

"You're dating a pirate?" Darkwing launched into the attack, trying to be heard over Donald's injured swearing. "I knew it! Women can't be trusted! They became way too emotional, and then they do something stupid like hooking up with a pirate. Dating the enemy is the number one mistake in heroics, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

Minnie drew in a deep breath, almost hissing her teeth. She prepared the longest, angriest rant she could muster in her mind, intending to yell his head off and leave no remains. She then was touched on the shoulders by both Launchpad and Donald, the latter who had easily gotten over his injury when he heard that hypocritical accusation. Both boys calmly held Minnie in place and stared intensely at Darkwing, who shrunk under their gaze. "Say, Darkwing," Donald started off, sounding unusually chipper. "How's your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, DW," Launchpad matched Donald's tone in a rare moment of lecturing his mentor. "It's been a while since you mentioned Morgana. Everything okay?"

It was hard to tell that Darkwing was paling since he had white feathers. He knew exactly the point they were trying to make, but he hadn't told any of them that Morgana had showed up at his home. He still wasn't sure how to deal with what she knew. Launchpad knew about Gosayln's existence, but PK knew very little about Darkwing's civilian identity aside from his real name. He had no clue as to how Morgana had figured out what he kept so secret, and knew he would lose the trust of his fellow crime fighters if he told them about this danger. Until he figured it out and made sure Gosalyn was safe, he would have to reluctantly keep them in the dark.

The trio took his silence as admittance of guilt. Minnie's shoulders were squeezed, and she felt closer to the boys at her side. Launchpad filled their glasses again, while Donald faced Minnie with a winning grin. "Welcome to the Justice Ducks, Minnie." With that, she finally did feel welcome, and smiled in turn.

* * *

><p>Rainy days sometimes made Mickey feel sluggish. He was tempted to take a nap in his seat, but had an inkling the people he was talking to wouldn't take kindly to it. He rubbed his eyes to try and fight off the sandman, and looked up at the video screen. His legs were propped up on his desk, and although he knew he should have proper etiquette when it came to women, Magica had become less of a woman in his eyes and more like an unusual business partner. As for the second woman in the screen, Mickey didn't know Morgana too well. Magica had always irked Mickey, but since she paid good money and good technology, he went along with her demands with little complaint. If Morgana was anything like Magica, the irking would come in twice as strong.<p>

"So, what I'm hearin' is…" Mickey spoke up to try and show he had been paying some attention. "Ye want me and the crew ta invade Prince Barnaby's coronation, but not make it too bad?" He wasn't sure he had heard that right. Magica often gave him very strange and very specific orders during the heists, and this was nearing the oddest one. "Whatcha mean by that?"

Morgana was also confused by that request, but she had been instructed not to speak unless spoken to. For now, she stood silently by Magica's side. Magica was sitting in her office, running her hand back and forth over her staff. "I mean exactly that. Take what you please, but don't do any lasting damage to the palace. I want them scared more than anything."

Mickey scratched his head as questions popped all over his mind. "We ain't exactly in the business ta scare folks… it's not even Halloween." Magica then gave him that smile that he just hated – the one that said she was angry, even though she looked happy. It was all said with the eyes, and he sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, fine… I know I ain't bein' paid ta ask questions. So let's get down ta payment." He put his legs down, and began pulling open drawers from his desk. "Money's good, but I'm gunna need a lil' extra this time 'round."

"I'm sure your wishes can be accommodated." Magica eyed the papers that Mickey was pulling out. "What is it that you have in mind?" Morgana began making guesses in her mind as to what the extras could be. Ships, weapons, illegal contraband, pirates were all the same when it came to their illicit desires. She hoped she could stomach whatever it was that Mickey wanted.

Mickey then began holding up the papers to the screen. They were ripped out of magazines, and showing tiered wedding cakes and elaborately decorated churches. "These, fer starters. I'm gunna get married eventually, so I want these reserved fer the big day! And don't skimp out on the cake. I don't want chocolate, I don't want cheesecake, I want chocolate cheesecake. And I got a few churches in mind fer the job, but I dunno if she wants ta do it traditional or not. I wanna cover all my bases."

Magica stared blankly at the screen in disbelief, and Morgana blinked hard to make sure she was seeing correctly. Magica clicked her tongue against her beak before speaking. "… You're… getting married, Captain?"

"Eventually!" He smiled from one big ear to the other. "I'm waitin' fer her ta leave the N.A.V.Y., but I dunno when that'll be, so I want all this stuff reserved fer as long - "

"Captain." Magica sounded sterner in complete contrast to Mickey's upbeat cheer. Morgana stepped back but knew she couldn't leave, despite knowing the bad things that happened when that voice was changed. "Did you say your fiancé is from the N.A.V.Y.?"

"Yup!" He didn't see anything wrong with this fact and couldn't understand why everyone felt a need to harp on it every time it was brought up. "It's the cutie from the newspapers!" He extracted from his drawers an old newspaper, and tapped the photo of the 'rookie' who had messed up the museum robbery. Minnie's picture wasn't too flattering as she looked ready to throttle the photographer. "See? See? Ain't she a cutie? We're gunna get married eventually. Her name is Minnie and she deserves the best weddin' money can buy. Ye can get that fer me, huh?"

Magica's grip on her staff tightened. "… I can always get you what you wish, Captain, as long as you do as I ask of you. But… your connection to anyone in the N.A.V.Y. is unnerving to hear. Can you assure me that your relationship is not going to hinder my work in any way?" She already sounded skeptical and Morgana was reminded of how easily Bushroot had been disposed of due to his romantic affairs. Unknown to Morgana, Magica hadn't told Mickey about that, nor had she any plans to. Magica knew Mickey's vow not to kill, and if he learned what happened to Bushroot, their partnership was deader than the doctor.

"Sure, sure." Mickey was now sitting on the desk and flipping through different wedding dress pages. "Soon as she gets over that whole tryin' ta arrest me thing. I tell ya, I was this close - " He pinched his fingers together for emphasis. "- ta gettin' her ta confess her feelin's, then me little sister came in, and then… well, it's a long story. Oooh, this is a good one!" He held up one page to the screen, almost shoving it in the faces of the women. "It'd show off her hips and everythin'! She's got a good pair of hips. Son bearin' hips."

Morgana had to cover her beak with a hand lest she burst into laughter. Mickey's notions were not only ridiculous, but he was being creepily adorable with them too. How could he not see the problem they would have with him and a N.A.V.Y. girl? Yet for all of Magica's glaring, Mickey continued to ramble about Minnie's hips, about her smile, and about the glorious future wedding he fully intended for Magica to pay for. In his uniquely working mind, he thought everyone could understand why he loved Minnie. The facts were just so obvious, who couldn't love her?

Magica managed to wait until Mickey was out of breath to uneasily accept his offer. "… You've served me well in the past, Captain. You've given me very little reason to distrust you. As long as Minnie doesn't become a problem, then I'll gladly reserve all of your wedding arrangements. I'm sure there are a few churches who can be bribed into doing a pirate wedding." She stood up from her chair, pretending to be pleasant again. "Once I know you've disrupted the coronation, I'll make the arrangements." She moved to turn off the screen.

Once the screen went dark, Mickey jumped off his desk with a fresh confidence. Once he did this coronation business, Minnie would surely be delighted to learn of the plans he had made. Girls appreciated it when their men put effort into their wedding. Maybe this would make her stop accusing him of head games, whatever that was supposed to mean. First things first, though, he had to get his men ready for the coronation. They were docked for now and many had left the ship to do their own affairs before they would return that night. Mickey opened the door to his chambers and exited, calling out to those on the lower deck. "Pete! Pete, are ye here?" The rain had stopped, and hints of the sun were beginning to peek out from the shady clouds.

No reply came to him, but Iago did fly from his position on the mast down to Mickey's shoulder. "Tubbo ain't around." He answered as Mickey began to walk around the ship. "Said he was going into town to get the eye fixed."

"Again?" Mickey asked in disdain, looking over at the town they were docked at. "That's the third time this week. I think he'd have an easier time bein' blind!" Settling the grumble in his throat, he poked Iago's head gently to command his full attention. "Try and get everyone together. We need ta prepare fer the next job."

Iago batted the finger away with both of his wings. "What's the next job?"

Mickey's eyes glittered in a distant fashion, already imaging how Minnie would walk down the aisle toward him. "We're repeatin' history, mate… we're relivin' the legacy of Devil Eyes!"

* * *

><p>On the other end of the black screen, Magica brushed her hair back and sighed."I don't think I'll ever understand how pirates work… and I don't think I want to." Wanting to get Mickey's annoying cheerfulness out of her head, she turned to Morgana, almost backing her niece into a corner. "But I didn't bring you here to hear me rant. I have an assignment for you as well."<p>

Morgana rubbed one of her arms uncomfortably but kept her eyes locked with her aunt. "What will it be this time, Auntie? My schedule is open."

"Go on another date with Drake Mallard." Magica smirked when Morgana's confusion was obvious on her face. "I just want to keep all of my ducks in a row… if you know what I mean."

Morgana shakily smiled back, somehow feeling smaller than the woman she had to look down at. "I'm… I'm sure he understands the dangers he's in now. I sincerely doubt he'd be stupid enough to keep sticking his beak into our business." She hoped for him and his daughter's sake he was. She had not only become afraid for her own life, but theirs as well, now that she had seen what Magica was capable of doing.

"Better safe than sorry." Magica waved her fingers playfully, and then reached upward and grabbed a fistful of Morgana's hair, yanking her niece down painfully so Magica could whisper in her ear. "From now on, we're working together on him. You think I haven't been noticing how you've been acting?" Morgana opened and closed her mouth several times to say something, but could think of nothing. Magica began releasing her grip. "And if he can't learn his place, I will have you kill him or his brat. _Or I will kill you_." When she let go of Morgana's hair, she began to head for the door. "Do run a comb through your hair, dear, I don't want you looking a mess."

* * *

><p>Pete was as impatient as he was large. He tapped his fingers on the workshop table beside him, not understanding that mechanics took time if someone wanted to do it correctly. He had gotten this particular repair more times than he could count, which to be fair wasn't that high of a number, yet he always forgot how much time it took for his repairman to help him along. Eventually, his hands clenched up, and he slammed a fist onto the table. "I ain't got all day, Maurice! Ye've done this a million times, ye should be able to do it in yer sleep!"<p>

The white haired old man didn't lift his head from his work but he did chuckle. "In my nightmares, you mean…" When he heard the cat growl, his laugh became heartier. "You know I'm joking, Pete! You keep my business running! I always work as fast as I can for my favorite customer." He leaned back in his seat to pick a new tool from his many toolboxes. "While I have you here… I've been hearing that you've gotten engaged. Congratulations!"

"Jiminy Cricket…" Pete swore under his breath as he turned his head away. With his eye being repaired, his vision was impaired, so he found it difficult to focus on any object. If he could have looked at Maurice, he would have been glowering at the shorter human. "Peg wasn't playin' fair! I was drunk when I was talkin' 'bout marriage! If I get married to her, it'll be a worse prison than Alcatraz."

Maurice whistled as he twisted a new screw in. "Interesting… so there's no special lady in your life?"

Pete's throat rumbled but he didn't move to answer. He still felt he had a claim on Minnie but those ambitions were growing weaker with every passing day. Though Minnie was attractive, he didn't see what made her so special in Mickey's eyes. Attraction came and went, and when Minnie was old and losing her looks, what would Mickey do then? Peg was also very pretty, and she had a strength and height advantage over Minnie. Pete could admit to liking Peg… mildly. "… Look… there's a reason she's called Pistol Peg. I don't wanna get hitched to someone who'd bark at me every single day. Women are supposed to be quiet, dainty, flowers!"

"I don't know if I can entirely agree with you there." Maurice got up from his chair. "I'll tell you all about my daughter, she's something else. But first, I need to grab something from the back. I'll be right back." Pete heard the footsteps leave, and he tried to keep himself entertained. He let his imagination drift into the future, when surely one day he would captain. Everyone would realize he was the better man, the stronger man, the smarter man. Maybe if Peg understood just what Pete was capable, she'd be less likely to kick him in the stomach so much. She could be cute when she wasn't homicidal.

Pete heard extra footsteps, and the bell over the front door rang. Another customer must have just entered. He then heard the sound of another door being closed and locked, followed by heavy, frantic pounding. Pete frowned, and looked to the noise. "Maurice? Everythin' all right over there?" Footsteps headed toward Pete, and then he heard something being lifted from the table. "Maurice?" The 'something' was then slammed into his face – a wrench. He had no time to try and fire his mechanical arm or even fall to the ground entirely before he was assaulted again, and again, over and over, until he lost consciousness. The last thing he thought he spotted before the world went dark was a gold shine, like an armband.

* * *

><p>The clouds were vanishing entirely by the time Goldie was boarding the ship bound for the Kingdom of Britain. She planned to travel by water, and was shoving everyone who dared to stand in her way. All she needed was one suitcase, and one shotgun that she refused to let leave her hand. Everyone wisely stayed out of her way, for Goldie was a locally known terror. They knew she was a kind woman most of the time, but if you ran into her when she was angry, you may as well have started to engrave your gravestone. She marched right up to the ship, grinding her beak back and forth.<p>

There weren't many people on the ship, because many people weren't leaving America at this time. She knew everyone wanted to see Barnaby's live coronation, but she also knew that nobody would be accepting him as the king. His father had been a peaceful and heartfelt leader, and everyone in America felt his pain when the princess was taken. Barnaby had done very little to show that he was feeling the same pain, and this coronation was more about time than him earning it. Goldie didn't care for all of that political nonsense. She had a duck to hunt down.

"Nobody cancels my wedding! Scrooge McDuck, I will tan your hide!"

**End of Chapter Fifteen.**


	16. Hidden Versus Open

I'm starting to think Lies is an angel sent from heaven to do my editing. Some of you may recognize an old Storybit in this chapter.

* * *

><p>It was painful for Daisy to wear these raggedy pirate clothes, but she knew she had to endure this fashion disaster if she wanted to get what he needed. The N.A.V.Y. had plenty of disguises in stock, and no one asked twice when Daisy grabbed these clothes, since she was a respected officer. She made sure to bring nothing valuable with her, except for what she planned to 'pay' Mickey with, and that was snugly hidden under her vest. With every step she took into the bar, there was a feeling of regret to match it. If she was found out, she'd be tossed in jail without another word. Yet she kept moving, for no amount of regret could kill the seething jealousy of anyone being with her Donald. She swallowed down her bitter feelings, and made her way through the guild of thieves.<p>

She went unnoticed, as the patrons of the bar were more focused on the skimpily dressed attendees. She weaved her way around the dirty tables and headed straight for the rooms above the stairs. They were all empty, except one, so logically this had to be the one Mickey was waiting for her in. She knocked twice, and when she heard his familiar squeaky voice beckon her to enter, she quickly rushed in, and then slammed the door behind her. She fumbled to lock the door, but Mickey spoke again.

"Don't bother, these gosh darn things don't have locks." He was still sore that thanks to that slip of door design, his moment with Minnie had been massacred. He was lying on the bed, one arm playing with his yoyo, the other resting behind his head, and he had one leg propped on his knee. "Besides, ain't anyone gunna disturb us."

Daisy hesitated to move from her spot, but turned to face the bed with growing confidence. "… Thank you for coming here. I really appreciate-"

"Whaddya want?" Mickey didn't even bother looking at her, stringing his yoyo back and forth above him.

Daisy did her best to ignore his rudeness for the more important matter at hand. She now stood at the bed, looking down at him. "I want you to investigate someone. If I did it legally, everyone would know about it, and I don't want anyone looking into my business." She drew a breath, and became angrier as the thought of that awful woman reached her beak. "There's this shrew of a woman - "

"Ye want me to look up a shrew?" Around the world, walk the dog,

"No, she's a duck-"

"Then why'd ye call her a shrew?"

"Let me finish!" Daisy reached out and yanked the yoyo out of his hand. He made a flailing attempt to grab it back, but she held it above him, and glared at him until he settled down. "Look, I just want you to find out everything you can about a duck named Donna. I want the best kind of dirt on her, so I can ruin her, if need be. Do you understand?"

Mickey kept his eyes on his toy, but nodded when the question was asked. "Sure, sure, whatever." Since he understood, Daisy relented and gave the toy back to him. Mickey immediately started playing again.

Daisy now felt free enough to vent all of her rage, walking in circles in the room while moving her arms to fit the story. "I'm sure she's a terrible person! The kind who steals people's fiancés right from under their noses. Then she tosses them aside like yesterday's garbage! Why, if I wasn't a lady, I'd show her what happens to men thieves! I bet under all of that make up, she's terribly ugly too, and…"

Mickey went quiet, almost unusually, as the duck woman blathered on. He merely kept doing his yoyo tricks, letting her drone on as he played. In fact, he wasn't even paying that much attention to what she was saying. Something about his help and favors and background information and some other nonsense he couldn't care less. When his boredom was at its maximum, he cleared his throat to stop her. "Listen… uh… Daffodil?"

"Daisy." She replied, leaning over him, trying to make sure the deal was being made. "So, will you help me get some info on this girl?"

A snort came from the mouse, highly indignant. "What do I look like, girly? I'm a pirate, not a detective. And since I haven't heard a single word about price comin' from that beak a yers, ye might as well step right back in from whatever air ship ye came from." He sat up, ready to leave this entire matter behind him. It just felt strange, to pry for the info behind a girl, and while he wasn't a perfect gentleman, there were boundaries to respect when it came to women.

Daisy smiled, if one could call it that – it contained a bit too much deviousness for an ordinary smile. "I can give you something better than money."

"I just bet." He stood up, pocketed the toy in his jacket. She still hadn't mentioned the thing about Minnie that she hinted about during their last talk, and he was an impatient man.

"I've got something I know you'll want." She slid her hand into her vest, and Mickey could have gagged. Did she really think seducing him was going to win him over? He was a one-woman man. To his surprise, she pulled out something, and slammed it down on the bed. There were five photographs there, each one of that 'one-woman'.

In the first was Minnie changing out of her uniform, oblivious to the fact there was a camera in sight. In the second, she was in a spring dress, accidentally spilling some chocolate ice cream on herself. In the third, she was catching a piggyback ride thanks to their tall friend Millicent, trying to reach for something stuck on a roof. In the fourth, she was swimming with some of her friends in a delightful little violet swimsuit. In the fifth, Minnie had flopped onto her bed, ready to sleep right then and there.

Mickey stared with wide eyes, and then made a swipe for the photographs. "_Gimmie_!"

Daisy had just as quickly collected them right back, stuffing them back into her vest. "You can have them, along with all of the others I took… along with the negatives… if you help give me that information." She held onto the first photograph, dangling in front of him, as if he was a kitten and this was a cat toy. With the way his eyes followed it, she had to wonder if he'd pounce on it like one too. "Do we have a deal?"

Mickey grumbled, knowing he was being tricked, but unable to resist the chance to carry a bit of Minnie around his pocket. "…Yer a she-devil. We have a deal." Sure, he was twisting his ideals, but when it came to Minnie he scruples were often juggled. "I'll call ye when I get the goods… now… can't I just have one?" He made another grab for the photo , and she moved her arm again. The dangling game went on for longer than it should have, and Daisy had to laugh. Maybe Minnie was right. Maybe this guy really was more like a childish little boy than an actual bloodthirsty pirate. That didn't mean she really encouraged the relationship, but it did have its advantages.

She would have continued enjoyed this teasing for who knows how long when a knock came to the door. "Big Brother!" The female voice on the other side called out. "We gotta talk, right now!"

Daisy paled, suddenly panicked at the thought of being caught. "You didn't tell me there were going to be other people here!" Thinking quickly, but not intelligently, she dropped to her hands and knees and began to crawl under the bed. Mickey didn't mind, as in the process she had dropped the photo and he now happily held it in his hands. He'd deal with the lump under his bed later.

The door opened without waiting for an invitation. Ortensia was the one who had interrupted the meeting, which didn't surprise Mickey, and she was dragging a shabbily dressed Oswald by the arm, which surprised him greatly. "Hey, hey, hey!" He pocketed the photo and pointed an angry finger to the unwelcome rabbit. "What's that rabbit doin' here? Did he try ta get someone after ye again?"

Ortensia clung to Oswald's arm, carrying a smile that echoed Daisy's similar expression mere moments ago. Just like Daisy, she had a devious plan in mind to secure the one she loved. "No, I brought him here." This plan would definitely make Mickey realize his feelings for her, and forget all about that pathetic N.A.V.Y. girl. "Ye see, Mickey… I thought about rich boy fer a while now… and I decided ta take up his offer." She grinned, flashing off her pearly whites. "We're getting' hitched!"

"What?" both men dropped their jaws to hear of this news, but when Oswald shouted it, he was roughly jabbed in the ribs by Ortensia's elbow, and stammered as he remembered his role. "O-Oh, uh, right! She's finally agreed to marry me." He put an arm around Ortensia's shoulder, and for the sake of the plan she allowed it. "We're going to live happily ever after, because she loves me with all of her heart. Isn't that right, my cute little kitten?" To be fair, she was legitimately blushing at the nickname.

Mickey was legitimately furious, storming up until he was in the faces of the fiancés. "No way! Uh-uh! I'm not lettin' ye do this ta me lil sister!" He grabbed Ortensia by the shoulders and looked her right in the eyes, searching for an explanation. "Ortensia, what's goin' on in that head a' yers?"

Ortensia was ecstatic and struggled to keep up her act. The plan was working beautifully! Mickey was obviously jealous of this sudden engagement, and it was now making him realize his true feelings for her. She would no longer be his little sister, but his lover. He just needed a few more shoves in the right direction. She leaned in closer to him, batting her eyelashes, and spoke in what she thought was the tone of an interested seductress. "What's the matter, Mickey? Is there some big reason why I can't marry Oswald? Anything you wanna tell me?"

Mickey ground his teeth, wondering where this rebellious streak was coming from. Ortensia had always done as she was told, and would never do anything to anger Mickey this much. He tore himself away from her, turned his back to the couple, and lightly touched Minnie's photo with his fingers to calm himself down. As he touched the photo, an idea came to him. Perhaps he was looking at this the wrong way. He glanced behind him, taking a careful glance at the couple. Oswald was content just to hold Ortensia, while Ortensia's eyes were digging into Mickey ravenously.

Mickey turned himself back around, settled with his idea. "I think I understand what's goin' on here. Has to do with me and Minnie, right?"

Ortensia happily shoved Oswald away and bounced up to Mickey, hands clasped together in delight. "Aye, aye! It does!" It was working, it was actually working! Mickey was hers at last!

Mickey kindly looked down at the cat, and placed his hands on top of hers. "Ye could have told me all along, Ortensia. I'm sorry I've been puttin' up such a big fight… all I ever wanted fer ye was yer happiness. I'll let ye have what ye want… ye have me blessin's ta marry Oswald."

"Oh, Mickey, I love y- " Hold on a moment. Something wasn't right about what he just said. Her hands loosened and she tilted her head. "… Say that again?"

"Ye have me blessin's ta marry him." Mickey patted Ortensia's hands, missing the complete horror going on in her eyes. "No wonder ye have been so mean ta Minnie lately… ye were upset cause ye couldn't have Oswald! But if he's the man fer ye, then I won't stop ye." He then looked to Oswald, and gave him a friendly thumbs-up of congratulations. "Take care of me lil sis, won't ye?"

"Whoo hoo!" Oswald still didn't really understand how this plan was supposed to have gone, but the important thing was that Ortensia was going to be his wife, so nothing else really mattered. "You bet! I'll treat her like a princess! Oh, Ortensiaaa~!" he flew to her to wrap her up in his arms, but his loving efforts were met with a kick to his chin, spending him spiraling backwards.

"Nooo!" Ortensia stomped her feet over and over, waving her arms in a frantic tantrum. Why did the love of her life have to be such a sweetheart and such a moron? "No, no, no, no! I don't wanna marry him! Ye ruined everything, Mickey! I hate ye, I hate ye, I hate ye!" She left the room, but came back and kicked Oswald while he was still down. "And I hate ye too, ye stupid rich boy!" She then left the room again, slamming the door behind her, and her stomping footsteps could be heard in the hallway.

Oswald dizzily tried to stand up, losing his footing twice before being able to regularly stand up. "… Am I engaged or not?" he opened the door to try and stumble after Ortensia. "Can't we talk about this, kitten?"

Only when Daisy was certain they were gone, and she had finished laughing at the whole scene, she poked her head out from underneath the bed. "… So, do normal pirates exist, or are you all just that crazy?"

Mickey scratched his head, staring at the place where Ortensia had once been. He thought about pointing out that someone who was hiding under the bed lest her illegal investigation and bribery be found out had no right to call anyone else crazy, but he still wanted those other photographs.

* * *

><p>That same afternoon, Amelia Doppler was staring down at a now cold cup of tea, noticing her own miserable reflection. Though she was happy to be home and with her husband, she missed her work, and there was still the looming danger she hadn't entirely explained to Delbert yet. She didn't know how to even begin to tell him about her sordid family secret. He was the best thing to have ever happened to her life, and while she would like to believe their love was invincible, the slightest hint of damage to their relationship scared her to death. He had reminded her that she had a heart, and filled it to the brim with happiness. She continued to stare at this distraught woman until her tea was refilled, and she looked up to see Delbert pouring her a fresh batch, with worry on his face.<p>

"You know," he spoke gently once he stopped pouring. "All of this emotional bottling can't be good for the baby. I wish you would just tell me what's going on." He placed the kettle on the coffee table, and then knelt down, taking one of Amelia's hands in both of his paws. "You said that when you came home, you'd tell me about this older sister, but it's been weeks and you haven't even tried. You can't keep that kind of burden to yourself."

Amelia tried to look away, but she still felt his eyes on her. She knew she had no right to keep this secret from him, but she was just as afraid to let it loose. "Delbert... I know what I told you. It's just…" She sighed heavily, reluctant to even describe what was going on through her mind. "… Once I tell you, I can't take it back. What happened… who she is… it's not something that can just be forgotten. I never wanted you to get involved in my family's shame."

Delbert delicately took Amelia's chin into his hand and made her look at him. "Amelia, your family is my family. Your secrets are my secrets." With his other hand, he ran a thumb across her wedding ring. "I trust you with all of my heart. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you." Amelia said quickly, not wanting him to think otherwise. "It's… it's not about you, it's…" With a great, heavy sigh, she relented. He needed to know, and she needed to tell him. "… Please, sit down." Delbert nodded, pulling away to sit in a chair across from her. He stayed quiet, giving her the time she wanted in order to prepare herself. She placed the cold cup of tea away from her to free her hands, clenching them together. The sight of her wedding ring urged her to speak on. "… The woman from the letter… she is my older sister. My older… half sister." She then closed her eyes, remembering the once proud image of her father.

"You know my father. He was one of the most respected generals the A.R.M.Y. has ever seen. He was a wise leader, a tremendous fighter, and I thought he was perfect. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. But… but when I was just a little girl… one day, I was at our vacation home in the country, with my mother and father. Mother and I were out in the gardens, when this woman barged in past the gates and began screaming at the both of us. I remember so clearly those golden arm bands she wore… She demanded to see father, and for him to own up to what he had done. She was holding hands with a little girl who didn't look too much older than me, and… and that little girl just stared at me."

Delbert was already guessing the implications of the story, but kept quiet. Occasionally he glanced up at the wall, where family photos and paintings were hung up with pride. There was a large painting of her father, and Delbert had always thought the man to be the perfect soldier and family man. Amelia's voice remained steady as she continued. "My mother managed to chase them off, and when she told father what had happened, he said he didn't know what the other woman was talking about. But the woman and her daughter came by every day to harass us, until my father broke down and told us what he had done. The other woman was a pirate wench, and my father had an affair with her long before he met mother. When he got married, he had tried to cut the wench out of his life, but she had gotten pregnant. If word got out about what he had done, we would have been shamed forever, and father would have gone to jail for associating with a pirate. So eventually he gathered us all together to arrange a deal."

Delbert nodded, as he remembered the letter that had been sent to them, the one that started this whole mess. It had mentioned something akin to a deal, though he couldn't figure out what it had been. Amelia's voice sounded colder with the story progression. "He paid the woman a large amount of money and made her swear she would never tell anyone about what had happened until the day she died. We never saw them again, and we thought we were rid of them forever. Father tried to pretend like nothing had ever happened, but I knew how it hurt mother. I could see it on her face every day. After that, I didn't want to be like my father anymore… I wanted to be better than him."

"You are." Delbert felt it was all right to speak now, and that his wife needed this assurance. "You're better than him. And I can understand why that letter worried you." He looked to the fireplace, where he had burnt the letter as instructed. "It sounded as if she wishes to expose what your father has done. We'll do what we can to stop her, but there is a chance we can't."

"And if it does, everything I've worked for will be for nothing." Amelia became bitter, nails digging into her own skin. "His shame will become my shame, and all of my respect will be turned into scorn and pity. People will see him as some kind of monster, and I'll be…"

"But what could they possibly fault you for?" The idea of such accusations was enough to make the doctor rise out of his chair. "Everything you've done for the N.A.V.Y. and the kingdom has been by your own hands, not your father's! Why should you have to pay for the mistakes he's made?"

"That's not going to matter in the eyes of the public." Amelia stood up as well, turning her body away from her husband. "Maybe I'd have a chance if it looked like my mother and I knew nothing about the affair, but if she can prove we knew all about it and helped push them away, then she becomes the victim and I become another monster. And they'll drag you through the mud as well." She held herself and lowering her head, the last fact one of the most painful ones. She had wanted to keep him safe, but was powerless to do so. She knew how much prestige counted in his field, but as long as he was linked to her, his reputation had just as much chance to be stained.

Delbert knew this as much as she did, but he couldn't care less. He gripped her by the arms from behind. "Then let them drag me, but I'll be dragged kicking and screaming. No matter what it takes, I'm not going to let this destroy us. We will get through this, no matter what this woman does." He slid his arms around her, and placed a hand on top of her stomach. "Together. This little one isn't going to care what your father did or what this woman says. He's going to be raised in a good home with good parents, and that's all that matters."

Amelia leaned against him, resting comfortably against her body. A thin smile played on her lips as she looked up at him. "He?"

Delbert met her smile with one of his own. "It's a strong possibility. My family has always been prone to boys." He nuzzled the top of her head with his chin, and felt her body rumble with quiet purring. "I love you no matter what your family has done. I love you, not your father." He knew it was impossible to banish all of her worries with these sentiments, but at least he had relaxed them. His love for her went beyond her reputation, but if she needed the respect of others so desperately, then he would try to find a way to keep the ugly business hidden. For now, he kept her safe in his arms.

* * *

><p>"Eighty-one, eighty-two, eighty-three…"<p>

That night, Drake Mallard stopped walking in his living room to look at his daughter, who was lying on her stomach on the couch and watching him. "What are you counting?"

"How many times you've paced around in a circle." Gosalyn drew a circle in the air with one figure, and then pointed below. "You're wearing a hole in the carpet. Are you still worried about that whole Morgana thing?"

"Of course not." Drake continued his eighty-fourth circle, arms crossed behind him and brows furrowed. "I don't get worried. I'm… contemplating."

"Contemplating about worrying?" She began to sit up and easily ignored her father's short lived glare. "If she was gunna rat out about your secret identity, don't you think she would have done it already? Maybe you were right and she really does like you after all." She didn't understand matters of the heart, but she knew that for all of Drake's narcissistic tendencies, he made the right choices when it really mattered. "Maybe women go for the whole single dad thing."

"Thank you, Gosalyn, but I don't want you worrying yourself either. Not that I'm worrying." Now he was making circles around the couch, so he could pace and talk to her at the same time. "Whatever happens, I'll take care of it." He also didn't want her to think about anything relating to dating until she was seventy-five or he was dead, whichever came first.

"Why don't you just call her?" Gosayln began to father around the couch, figuring he shouldn't have all the fun in ruining the carpet. "Don't you still have her number?"

"And what would I say?" Darkring grumbled, eyeing the household screen off in the kitchen. "'Oh hey, Morgana, are you free this Saturday? And by the way, are you going to expose my greatest secret and put my daughter in unspeakable danger?'"

"I thought your greatest secret was that you were never kissed until you and Morgana started dating. And that you actually kind of like the Muddlefoots. And that you once wet the bed when-"

"You know, darling daughter of mine, secrets are called secrets because you're not supposed to talk about them." Another secret of Drake's was that the thought of Morgana approaching his house again scared him slightly, which is why he stopped in place when he heard a knock at the door.

Gosalyn bumped into him, not realizing their walk was over, and rubbed her beak was she looked to the door. "Is it Morgana?"

Drake cautiously approached the window and pulled back the curtain just enough to catch a glimpse of whoever was this door. "Not unless we know of any other raven haired, hourglass shaped bombshells." He smoothed down his casual outfit as he left the curtain return to its place. "All right, Gosalyn, you know where to go."

"You got it." Gosalyn climbed back on the couch and stared at the door expectantly.

Drake rolled his eyes, since he thought he made it obvious that she should go to her room. He allowed her to stay, and ran a hand over his head to make his feathers look good before opening the door. He greeted her with pleasantness, as if she wasn't one of the biggest threats to his family. "Why, Morgana, what a lovely surprise! What brings you here… again?"

Morgana normally greeted him with an alluring flair, standing in a way to accentuate the curves of her body and looking at him with the delicious eyes of a hunter. Now she stood before him with fumbling hands and apologetic shy glances, unaware that by making herself nervous she was just as appealing as when she was actually trying to ensnare him. "Hello, Drake, I… I've missed you. I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date tonight, if you're not too busy."

"My schedule is all clear whenever you're around!"Drake chirped, and then noticed Morgana had started looking past him and was staring at Gosalyn. He cleared his throat, and looked behind him at his daughter. "Gosalyn, don't you have a room to clean?"

"It's not going anywhere." Gosalyn waved to Morgana, ignoring the attempts to get rid of her. She wanted to get to know this woman better, despite her father's worries. She felt she had just as much right to be a part of the big investigation as did any member of the Justice Ducks. "Hi Morgana! We were just talking about what to do with you."

Morgana looked down at Drake with light surprise. "Really?"

Drake laughed nervously, still holding onto the door. "Oh, that, haha… My daughter says all kinds of crazy things… before she's grounded." He began to step backwards, hoping to get to the kitchen. "Let me just call a friend to watch over her, and then we can get going."

"Actually…" Morgana reached out a hand in a weak attempt to stop his movement. "I was hoping to take the both of you out to dinner. So we could all get to know each other better." Her words sounded forced, as if this was actually the last thing she wanted to do. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with them, but something was holding her true feelings back. Father nor daughter could understand what she was being so suspicious about.

Daughter didn't care too greatly as she jumped on the couch in excitement. "Keen gear, free food! And since you're rich, we can eat as much as we want!" She jumped off and landed in Drake's startled arms, grabbing the front of his jacket in a childish plea. "Can we go, huh, huh, pleeeease? Think of all the dessert we could have!"

Drake was already having a hard time resisting Morgana, and resisting his daughter was often impossible. The two of them were powerful enough to break down his reluctance, and he chuckled lightly as he placed Gosalyn down on the floor. "Well, all right… go get dressed, and then we can go."

"She's fine as she is." Morgana swiftly turned away from the small family, her hands twitching in fright. "I've… already made the reservations, so we really must get going." She was already off the porch by the time she finished her rushed sentence.

Drake found that sentence odd, but Gosalyn was tugging his hand and dragging him towards the front door, suddenly starved for more than attention. He decided to go along, figuring that with his daughter around, Morgana would never try for something devious or underhanded. Outside, a long black carriage was waiting for them. It was twice as long as a regular carriage, with two separate rooms for two separate parties of people. Morgana went to the back end carriage, but she stopped as she opened the door. She shuddered, and took her hand back from the door. "… I can't do it."

Drake raised his eyebrows, with him and his daughter right behind Morgana. "What, did you forget your wallet?"

Morgana whipped around instantly, panic and determination mixed together in her fluid motions. "Both of you, run! Magica has something planned, and you have to get out of here before it's too late!" Her words rang truth because it was already too late as rushes of hands smacked the door back open, and yanked Morgana back into the carriage. The family didn't even have a chance to register her screams before they too were snatched up and stolen inside, with the door quietly clicking shut. The three of them were shoved to the floor, feeling their arms and legs tied up and unable to fend off their multiple beagle attackers. A window above the seats slid open, revealing the other party inside the front part of the carriage, and Morgana gasped in further shock. "Magica?"

Magica looked down at the squirming bodies, clicking her tongue against her beak. "You didn't really think I was going to let you do this alone? You can't be trusted anymore. People in love always do the stupidest things." She then slid the window shut, and with a snap of her fingers, the carriage rode off.

* * *

><p>At midnight, most people tend to be asleep. Most people weren't Clarabelle, and most people weren't looking into the disappearance of their friends. When she had gotten enough moral courage to go and see Horace in the hospital, she discovered someone had already checked him out, but she knew none of his family would have done it. Then when she had tried to locate Millicent to ask for advice, she discovered the poodle had taken a leave of absence, but the letter to the N.A.V.Y. announcing this wasn't in her handwriting. Clarabelle had taken her private investigation further, and thanks to some eye witnesses, discovered the last place Millicent had been seen was the docks that now Clarabelle was exploring. The docks were empty, save for one small boat in the harbor.<p>

Clarabelle quietly walked on the wooden boards, unable to find any hint of where her friend had vanished to. As she continued her fruitless exploration, she noticed that there were extra footsteps on the docks. She held onto her pistol, but didn't draw it out of its holster. The clouds above her moved, and bright moonlight helped to illuminate two people on the docks with her. Far to the left was Goofy, worriedly stepping backwards in desperate search for someone. Far to the right was Peg, holding onto the folder Barnaby had given her, and she was grinding her teeth in frustration. As all three figures lifted their heads, they all saw each other, and panic was instantaneous. Clarabelle whipped out her pistol, unsure who to aim at first. "What are you two doing here!"

Goofy held up his hands in defense. "I'm just lookin' fer Millie!" He regretted the words as soon as they escaped his buck teeth, but they were the truth. Millie hadn't responded to his calls in days, and he had followed the same paths as Clarabelle to find his sweetheart.

Peg fumbled with her folder, trying to take her own pistol out without dropping her papers. "I'm not here ta cause any trouble… I'm on a job, and I ain't hurtin' nobody!" She pulled out one of the papers and held it out to try and prove to Clarabelle that she was telling the truth. "I was hired ta keep an eye on some fellas… But every time I try and find them, I can't! It's like they're all made up! This is the closest I've gotten to a real lead!"

"That's because they _were_ all made up, Peggy."

The three surprised bodies swiveled towards the singular boat in the harbor, for there stood the speaker, her golden armband shining in the moonlight. Mirage also held her folder from Barnaby, and smirked down at the three confused former friends. "Barnaby never wanted you to search for anyone… you were just given a job so he'd know where you were at any given time. And now that the three of you are together, this makes my job a lot easier." She lightly tossed her folder at their feet, and it spilled open with six photographs. They were of Goofy, Clarabelle, and Peg, but also of Pete, Millie, and Horace.

Clarabelle didn't understand what the upcoming King of America had to do with any of this, but she had a large guess as to the meaning behind the photographs. She angrily pointed her pistol towards Mirage, having to use all of her restraint to not pull the trigger. "Do you know what happened to Horace and Mille? What did you do them?" The threat to their loved ones caused Goofy to snarl and Peg to growl, ready to react with their own weapons with less restraint than the N.A.V.Y. woman.

Mirage didn't flinch and kept calm, not impressed by the threat of violence. "They've been invited to Barnaby's coronation, as have the three of you. If you want to see them alive, you'll come with me." She gestured to the boat she was standing on, and the trio reluctantly lowered their weapons. "All aboard."

* * *

><p>Bright and early the next morning, Gadget was working on Minnie's roller skates again, and she noted to herself that it had been far too long since she had seen Minnie this happy. The owner of the skates was rocking back and forth in her chair, smiling brightly, and fidgeting with anticipation. Daisy was casually brushing Minnie's head with the brush from their room, not quite as excited as Minnie but still very happy in her own way. Gadget's curiosity couldn't hold her back much longer. "Minnie, you look ready to bounce off the walls. What's got you so happy?"<p>

Minnie let loose a few loud giggles before being able to share her reasons. "Oh, it's wonderful, Gadget! Daisy and I going to the Prince of America's coronation! Something that big is going to show everyone that I really can be trusted!"

"Stay still, I'm almost done." Daisy gently chided her friend before resuming grooming. "They're only sending us two as an act of good faith from our kingdom to theirs. They have their own branches of the N.A.V.Y. and A.R.M.Y. to watch over things, so we probably won't even be noticed. It might be kind of boring."

"That doesn't matter." Minnie kicked her legs back and forth, needing to move in some way so she could let all of her joy out. "It's not kitchen duty! And this will be my first time near a royal family, isn't that exciting?" She didn't count the crashed wedding of Edward and Millicent, as she had done her best to block plenty of memories from that time.

Gadget paused in her work, uncomfortable with how she wanted to word her next questions. "… Not that I don't think you're ready for it, Minnie, but… why aren't they sending Clarabelle and Millicent? They are… more experienced. And they were chosen to help a royal family before."

Minnie wasn't insulted as she had wondered the same thing herself. Her kicking slowed down as worrisome reminders were exchanged between her and Daisy's faces. "… Millie has a leave of absence, but she's never taken one before. And nobody knows where Clarabelle is. She hasn't been seen since yesterday."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Daisy squeezed Minnie's shoulder in kindness, hoping that by assuring her friend she could also assure herself. "I bet she's snuck off to see Horace, and they're confessing their love. They'll probably be engaged by the time he gets out of the hospital." Finished with her brushing, she stepped back from Minnie. "Are you just about done, Gadget? We have to go and get ready to leave for the Kingdom of America."

Gadget screwed in one more screw, and then took a sweeping bow, proud of her repairs. "All finished. I'm sure you two will do great."

Minnie got out of her seat, and picked up her skates. "Thanks, Gadget! I'll come and see you the second we get back." She left the room with Daisy, but instead of squealing more about their assignment or worrying more about their friends, she asked about something else entirely. "Say, Daisy… you know how to get boys to do what you want, don't you?"

Daisy was puzzled by such a question coming from such a person. "Sure I do. Why do you ask?"

"Because I need to learn how to do it." Though her pride gagged at it and her heart fluttered at it, she needed to know how to wrap Mickey around her finger. Who better to ask than Daisy? "When we're done with the coronation… I'm going to visit a friend."

**End Of Chapter Sixteen.**


	17. Rags Versus Riches

The best birthday I could ever want are the talented skills and beautiful friendship Lies has shared with me.

* * *

><p>Minnie had never been to the Kingdom of America before, as she had never gone outside of her own kingdom. That's why she felt justified in taking her time to get to the White House Castle, so she could take in all of the sights. Daisy often had to tug her along to make sure they were headed in the right direction, though she did find her friend's awe absolutely adorable. By the time they arrived, the castle was already packed to the brim with guards, although no one was being allowed entrance just yet. Even when Daisy and Minnie told them they were members of the British branch of the N.A.V.Y., they were told to wait outside just like everyone else. No one would be admitted before the ceremony started.<p>

"It's not fair." Minnie had lamented while they walked in circles around the castle. "This ceremony is already a month behind schedule, you'd think they'd be a little more lax with us." The ceremony was supposed to be in March, but April was almost at an end and they were only now having the coronation. The King and the Prince had apologized for the delays in the press but had never really explained why they had done it. The citizens of the Kingdom of America had become angrier in their wait, and were still not completely accepting of Barnaby as the heir.

"They'll let us in when it's time." Daisy did her best to keep up with Minnie's pace, but the mouse's impatience was making her move fast. "Besides, you and I are just here as an act of good faith from the Kingdom of Britain. We're not really guards or soldiers."

Minnie stopped her pacing when an idea came to her, as her eyes came upon a window high up in the castle. Her eyes widened as the gears in her mind turned, and she spoke quietly as to not arouse suspicion from the guards. "… Maybe we can say when it's time to let us inside. If we go inside first, we'll be seen as the most important guards the King and Prince have!" She then bent over and adjusted her steam powered roller skates.

"Minnie, that's not a healthy line of logic." Daisy gripped Minnie by the shoulders, hoping to stop her from whatever crazy scheme she cooked up next. "I know you want to rebuild your reputation, but breaking into a castle is kind of a step backwards." Her reasoning went unheard as the skates hissed to life. Minnie thought this time she could handle the power her skates emitted, and like all the other times she had worn them, she couldn't. She suddenly rocked up into the air, and Daisy held onto her friend for dear life. Minnie kicked her legs in an attempt to direct herself, and the two found themselves flying into the same window she had been looking at before. The skates sputtered and gave out just as the two hit the floor, surrounded by broken glass and reeling in dizziness.

When Minnie opened her eyes and saw Daisy's glare, she weakly smiled at her. "… Well. We're in?" They were cut up from the broken glass window and were in pain from their hard landing on the tile floor, but they were in. Daisy grumbled as she let go of Minnie, and the two of them slowly stood up to look at the damage they had caused. They appeared to have landed in the grand kitchen, which was white and perfectly clean save for the shards of glass now littered about. While Daisy went to the window to see if they had caused too much attention, Minnie noticed something odd about where they had landed. "… Shouldn't someone be in here?"

"Maybe they cooked all the food already." Daisy backed away from the window as she thought she saw guards from outside looking up at her. "Let's find an exit before they find out what we did." Minnie began to object, but Daisy took her by the hand and headed for the kitchen doors. The two girls went quiet as they delicately poked their heads out into the hallway, but to their surprise it was just as empty as the kitchen. The girls walked out, marveling at the silence in the castle. "… Okay, this I'm willing to admit is kinda weird."

"You'd think they'd have guards inside, too." Minnie walked with Daisy through the long hallway, passing by old paintings of former rulers. "Or some servants. Where is everybody?" There were many rooms in the hall, and Daisy checked each one to see if there was a way out of the castle. None of them were exits, but even stranger, they were all empty too. Since the castle was so large, it made the place seem even emptier, and the girls held hands to try and calm themselves from the eerie quiet. The final doors in the hallway were a pair of intricately decorated ones, taller than if three Millicents were stacked on top of each other. Minnie twisted the big doorknob to the left door, and gradually opened the door enough so that they both could peer inside.

This was the throne room, and it more than made up for the lack of people everywhere else in the castle for it was filled to the brim with American A.R.M.Y. soldiers aligned against the walls. The throne itself had been pushed aside, revealing a hole in the wall large enough for someone to stick their whole arm into. Besides the hole was Barnaby, dressed in the most expensive royal wear and staring intently at a group of figures in the middle of the room. At Barnaby's side was an old, graying wolf in the same wear, the King of America, Ezekiel Wolf. While Barnaby exuded youth and arrogance, his father seemed timid and afraid, hunched over and fidgeting around. Barnaby lifted his arms in a grand gesture, grinning wildly. "Well, my friends, I believe it's time to begin."

He was addressing six figures in the middle of the room, their arms held behind their backs and pistols aimed at their heads by more members of the A.R.M.Y. There stood Horace, Clarabelle, Millicent, Goofy, Pete, and Peg, each one looking beaten and exhausted. Pete's mechanical parts had been smashed to bits, leaving him unable to fight, and Horace was having trouble standing. Minnie opened her mouth to call out her friends names, but Daisy slapped a hand over her lips. They exchanged frightened looks, but knew that the two of them didn't stand a chance against a room full of soldiers. Though they were terrified for their friends, for now they could do nothing but watch whatever kind of scene was unfolding before them.

Peg was the first to rebel, jerking in her captor's grip. "Ye ain't no friend of mine! Ye tricked me! When I get my hands on ye…"

"Why are we even here?" Clarabelle sounded just as angry as Peg, but made her body stay still, having the sense to know she couldn't fight off the one who was holding her. "None of us object to you becoming the next King! Why did you have Mirage take all of us?"

Barnaby raised his hand up high. "Because… of this!" All heads looked to the sword stuck to the wall, with Barnaby nearly under its cast shadow. "The System Sword! No one in America will truly accept me as King until they see me with that sword. Since I am the blood heir, it will have no problem accepting my DNA. But after all this time, I want to make sure no other heir can get in my way and claim the throne for themselves. If anyone with even a hint of Edna's DNA stuck their hand into the hole, the sword would unlock itself for them." At the mention of Edna's name, the King lowered his head, still mourning over the loss of his daughter.

Pete couldn't see very well without his repaired mechanical eye, so he made a guess as to where Barnaby was standing and tried to spit at him. "That still ain't got nothin' ta do with us! We don't know any princesses! Ye've lost yer mind!"

Barnaby brought his hand down and clenched it into a shaking fist. "Do you fools really think I would have brought you here for nothing?" His smug superior attitude began to melt into white hot hatred. "Ever since that burden of a sibling was stolen, I knew the throne was mine! And I had to make sure it would stay mine! So I sent out soldiers, spies, anyone who would take money for the job, to find her and make sure she would never come back!" At this, Ezekiel buried his head in his hands, ashamed at what depravity his family had fallen to. Even the soldiers began to grimace at the cruelty the prince was displaying. "They all found their own clues, but only I was smart enough to piece them together. In order to find out where Edna was, I had to find out what happened to the pirate Devil Eyes."

He began to walk around the room, eager to display his smarts to his prisoners. "None of his former crewmates would say where he went, and his ship was found burned and destroyed. But all of his treasure had to go somewhere. I tracked down the markets where he traded in his stolen goods for necessities, and eventually found he had bought tracks of land in your hometown." He waved an arm to the six friends. "I still couldn't find Edna, but I discovered on the land he had purchased a family sized house. If he still had Edna, and he needed a house so large, Edna must have had a child!" He stopped in place, almost directly in front of the six. "You are all in the age group that fits when she could have had a child during the time when she was kidnapped, you were all raised in the same hometown, you were all seen on his land several times, you all have individual physical traits matching with Edna, all of your parents have left your hometown, you have all been associated with pirates… one of the six of you is Edna's child!"

The idea was ridiculous, but none the less the friends looked at each other, morbidly curious if his line of reasoning was correct. Pete had a similar physical build as Edna, Goofy had eyes similar to her, Millicent had a similar face to her, while the other three could be said to share emotional traits, with Horace's weaknesses similar to her, Peg's intelligence similar to hers, and Clarabelle's personality similar to hers. However, being similar didn't mean they were direct clones of Edna, and so they still found the idea to be ludicrous and Barnaby a madman for thinking of it. He stood in front of them, trying to decide who to test first by pointing back and forth between the friends. "Once the System Sword accepts the heir, they will be killed, and my sister can be forgotten forever. So let's start with… you." His finger now pointed at a paling Millicent. "Bring her to the throne."

"W-Wait a minute!" Peg jerked around once more, but this time her face showed fear instead of anger. "Is it true? That if we don't have her blood, it'll cut off our hands?" She remembered clearly what Mirage had told her, and it was one of the rare times she wished the cat was here to here to confirm what had been told. The others had never been informed of the same fact, and their faces twisted in the same horror as Peg.

Barnaby waved for some soldiers to come over and restrain Millicent, who was kicking about in her panic. "Think of it this way. Your hands are paving the way for this kingdom to become greater… Though some of you may die from blood loss first." He shrugged the matter off his shoulders, and watched the men drag Millicent forward.

Millicent could normally fight off several men at a time, but she had never been trapped in a situation such as this, with multiple men restraining her and the lives of her loved ones in danger. She struggled with all of her might even when her arms were threatened to break, and she screamed with desperate tears in her eyes. "Let me go! It can't be me! No, no, please! Let me go! _Let me gooo_!" Her howls were echoed in her friends, who also began to fight and screamed for her release. Though time had passed and they were on opposite sides of the law, the friendship they had held tightly since they were children had refused to die. Seeing one of their own in mortal peril was a shared terror, and they all screamed and cried for her release. They shouted for mercy, threats of death, and even volunteered for themselves to go first, but Barnaby merely watched Millicent be dragged closer and closer to the hole in the wall. Ezekiel tried to look away, but the disgust of the situation made him stay in place, as Millicent's forcibly outstretched hand reached closer and closer and her screams became louder and louder.

"No! No! _Nooo!_"

A shot rang out and knocked Barnaby's crown off of his head, sending it clattering to the floor. All bodies turned to see where it had come from, and the doors to the hallway were thrust open. Minnie's pistol still smoked from its shot, and Daisy looked ready to join in fire, taking out her own pistol. Never had either of them felt such rage in their lives, making their past anger at their own squabbles of love realistically petty. It didn't matter that they were out powered and outnumbered, their friends were in danger and to do nothing was impossible. "Prince Barnaby Wolf." Minnie's voice shook as her attempt to remain calm was rendered fruitless. "You're under arrest! Let her go!"

Barnaby snarled, grinding all of his sharp fangs together. "Who let those women in here? Get rid of them! Now!" The soldiers along the wall ran from their places, and towards the intruders for a fight. Goofy used the distraction to his advantage, swiftly leaning backwards, slipping one hand out of his captor's grasp, grabbing the shoulder of the soldier behind him, and then flipping the solider over to slam him against the floor. Peg, Pete, Horace and Clarabelle followed suit, and joined in on the battle. In seconds, the room was chaos, and while the six friends had no weapons to fight with, they still proved themselves formidable with their attacks. The friends worked together, putting aside differences and orders of the law, for all that mattered now was protecting each other.

Barnaby picked up his fallen crown, clenching it hard enough in his hands that it began to prick and bleed his fingers. "What is this? Stop them, stop them!" He only had one sword to his name, and he finally pulled it out, ready to join in if it meant getting rid of the people in his way. "I won't be stopped now! I've been made to wait for too long!" He spotted Minnie being backed into a corner, and he blamed her for the insanity forming all along his perfect order. He stormed towards her, his blade raised high. "I will rule! I WILL RULE!" But before he could make mincemeat out of the mouse, he saw that while she was looking in his direction, she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were past him, above him, staring at something in wonder.

Ezekiel spoke at last, trembling as he used his bony hand to signal to the implanted sword in the wall. "The System Sword! It's moving!" The grinds of gears and moving of metal deafened the sounds of war, stopping the soldiers of America in their places. The metal straps on the sword sunk back into the wall, and the sword was being pushed out by a thin hand-like crane from behind. The crane lowered the sword slowly downwards until it could be grasped by the one who had put his arm in the hole. He took the sword, and the crane melded itself back into the wall. He withdrew his arm, and it showed a single cut that was reddened by a swift blade. When everyone was staring and had quieted down, he pointed the System Sword at Barnaby.

He was Goofy. "Aye. I'm the son of Princess Edna of America. I'm also the son of Devil Eyes. I've always known." He wiped his bloody arm on the front of his shirt, sighing as the truth he'd hid for all of his life needed to be told. "He always planned ta give her back when the ransom was paid up… but they fell in love. She didn't wanna go back. And when she had me, Pa knew continuin' his pirate ways would put us in danger. So he paid off his crew, destroyed the ship, and had us settle." He lifted his eyes to meet Barnaby, and seeing that face made his grip on the sword tighten. "When Ma realized ye were sendin' spies after us… I chose ta run away. They couldn't get married legally, and I was the only proof they were together. So I ran away ta keep their secret."

Barnaby wouldn't look at Goofy. He could only stare at the sword, the symbol he needed to gain the trust of his people. "Give me that sword." He couldn't care less about the history behind his sister's disappearance. He wanted that sword, he needed that sword. After all the time and money he had wasted on Mirage to get them here, there was no longer any need to wait. All he could think of was getting the sword.

"Nuh-uh." Goofy turned the sword in his hand, ready to attack if provoked. "After everythin' ye put my family through? The things ye did ta me friends? Ye ain't fit ta rule a sandbox! I'm gunna take the throne, and make sure it's finally in good hands!"

"_Give me the sword_!" Barnaby yelled loud enough to make ear drums shudder, and he swept his sword high in the air to instruct his soldiers. "Attack him! Kill him! Get me that sword!"

"Stand down!" Instead of a soldier moving, old Ezekiel scrambled to get in front of Goofy, using his frail body as a shield. "I… I am still acting King, and I can still give orders! Not one of you is to touch my grandson!" He had neither sword nor pistol, but kept his arms outstretched in defiance. The soldiers didn't move from their places, more respectful of their king than their prince. Ezekiel took a long and heavy breath before turning around to fully face Goofy. His eyes were weak, but there were traces of his daughter in Goofy's face he could see as plain as day. "You… you really are Edna's child, aren't you?"

Goofy smiled kindly at the King, and respectfully bowed. "She really did love ye… She talked about ye plenty. But she also loved Pa… She didn't wanna have ta choose…"

"_Give me that sword_!" Barnaby demanded again, dashing madly towards the heir, willing to spear through his father if it meant taking Goofy down with him. Goofy roughly shoved Ezekiel out of harm's way, and their two swords banged against each other. "I worked too hard and waited too long to have some bastard child take what is rightfully mine! I paid the spies, I came up with the plan to get you all here!" As he attempted to hack at Goofy, his mind loosened more and more, saying things he should have kept to himself. "I was the one who ordered that barn to be burnt to the ground so you all would die! I was the one who paid Devil Eyes to kidnap her in the first place! She didn't have the strength to rule! I do! I do! Give! Me! My! Sword!"

The two man fight continued in place, the soldiers still on the King's orders and the friends feeling as if they couldn't dare intrude on this battle between uncle and nephew. Goofy gave as good as he took, using Barnaby's anger against him, as the wolf's irrational anger made his movements sloppy. "It ye had just left Ma alone, she'd never want the throne! Ye got no one ta blame but yerself! When everyone hears what ye did, no one will accept ye as King!"

"And you think you can do better?" Barnaby was nearly foaming at the mouth in his fury, unable to stop moving for a second. He could see Edna in this pirate, as if she was there and mocking him personally. "You're an unwanted child! You're a pirate! No one will accept you! No one will want you! A ruler must be accepted, must be desired, or else the people won't obey him! I am doing this for the people!"

"Yer only doin' this fer yerself!"Goofy dug his heels into the carpeted floor, trying to keep his balance. His arms were aching from the intensity of the battle but backing out was not an option. "Ye don't care about anyone! A selfish man can't rule! I'm doin' this fer Pa, fer Ma, fer me friends, fer Millie, and fer America, so they don't have ta deal with ye anymore!" The men and women in the room were hypnotized by the scene before them, wanting to help but unable to compel themselves to move. Because of this, nobody noticed an extra figure casually strolling into the room from the hallway.

The short figure made his way around pirates and soldiers until he was right behind Barnaby, and kicked him in the back of the knee, causing the wolf to stumble forward and almost tripping over his own feet. When Barnaby turned to face his new attacker, Mickey was proudly standing there with his own sword out. "Not sure I understand everythin' goin' on, but I do see that yer goin' after me first mate, and that's all I need to know that yer my enemy too."

"Stay out of this!" Barnaby moved to strike Mickey down, unable to believe even more people had interrupted his sacred movement, but Goofy wasn't so easily forgotten. He used the back end of the sword to smack across Barnaby's head, and when Barnaby tried to attack Goofy, Mickey used his blade to across Barnaby's backside. Barnaby's anger couldn't let him concentrate on more than two foes, so he was soon being beaten back and forth by the best friends. It had never occurred to Barnaby that a life of selfishness would render him helpless, and he still believed he was in the right, shouting demands for the sword until two fists slammed into his face and made him black out onto the floor.

Goofy's seriousness vanished as he high fived his captain, exuding cheer and good grace. "Cap'n! What're ye doin' here?"

Mickey returned his blade to its scabbard, whistling as he looked at the damage in the room. "Well, I did have a job ta interrupt the coronation… looks like someone else did it fer me. I came in first ta see how good the security was, and then I came here when I heard all of the ruckus. No way was I gunna let anyone skewer me best mate." The brothers in arms grinned at each other, and probably would have started hugging had not Ezekiel slowly come between them.

The King knelt down to take the crown from Barnaby's head, and then stood up tall to face Goofy. He held out the crown, and Goofy, understanding the gesture, leaned down so Ezekiel could place the crown on top of his head. It slid a little, since Goofy was still wearing a traditional pirate bandanna, and yet it also seemed to fit his head as if it was meant to be there all along. Ezekiel stepped back, and then knelt and bowed in respect. The soldiers drew back their weapons at last, and also knelt to the heir to the throne. With looks of befuddled amusement, the friends also knelt, everyone giving their respective praises to the new ruler.

Goofy's cheeks tinted in humility due to all the attention. He hadn't done all of this for the power, but for what he truly felt was right. He scratched the back of his head, and gave Ezekiel the System Sword, as still more needed to be said. "I'm real sorry I got all of ye dragged inta this… I don't't even know where me Pa and Ma are anymore… I probably woulda done this a lot sooner, and saved us all the trouble, but…" He hesitated, swallowed, and then forced his courage to work as he walked away from Ezekiel and towards Millicent. She got out of her kneel and walked up to him as well, wondering why she was being singled out for his reason for not taking the throne. His voice saddened, and there was guilt in the eyes similar to his mother's. "… I knew that my Pa killed yer pa, and… and if ye found out I was his son… Ye wouldn't wanna marry me anymore… I'm so sorry, Millie…"

Millie's shoulders lowered as she understood his reluctance, and she saw his guilty eyes ready to brim with tears. How long had her love been burdened with this knowledge? She had hated Devil Eyes ever since she was first told he was the reason her father was dead, and she had told Goofy as such many times before. She still hated him now, and she would continue hating him for the rest of her life. Hate is just as natural to feel as love. Right now, it just mattered which was stronger, the hate for Devil Eyes or the love for Goofy.

She took his hand, and pressed it to her cheek, letting him know her real feelings. "Oh, Goofy… it doesn't matter to me if you're a pirate, a prince, who raised you or who you're related to. You're not Devil Eyes. I still love you… I've always loved you." To her, nothing had changed. They would always find a way to be together. Learning who his father was didn't change who Goofy was as a person. Devil Eyes was Devil Eyes, and Goofy was Goofy. She didn't see a need to complicate it any further than that.

"Aw, Millie!" Goofy hugged his sweetheart tight against his chest, and kissed the top of her head in relieved glee. He cherished her hold for a few minutes longer, before knowing he had one more issue to settle before everything could be finished. With one arm still snug around his bride to be, he looked back to Mickey with regret. "… Cap'n… this means… I gotta leave the crew. I'm sorry, but… I've made up my mind. I gotta give this place a chance, and leave my thievin' ways behind. I know it's what Ma woulda wanted."

Mickey smiled, but only a few in the room could tell that it contained traces of pain. He too knew that Goofy leaving his crew was the best choice for everyone, but that didn't make it an easy choice. Goofy had been a part of Mickey's crew for years, and being a first mate was as good as being his brother. Of course he couldn't get emotional about this loss with all of these people watching. He inhaled deeply to control himself, and reached out a hand to shake Goofy's hand. "Ye take care of yerself, ye big goof. If I find out yer not rulin' right, I'll come back and give ye a big whoopin'. That's a promise."

Goofy returned the shake slowly. "Thank ye, Cap'n… Mickey." His entire life had be so disorganized in trying to make sure no one ever found out his real identity, but Mickey had never cared too much about Goofy's backstory. He had automatically taken Goofy in, and accepted him as one of his own. He hadn't minded Goofy's affair with Millie, and allowed the dog to find his own happiness. The two stared at each other with wet eyes, but manly pride demanded them to break their hands and look away, owing any weakness they were showing due to allergies. It was spring, after all.

Goofy ducked his head into Millie's neck to hide his face, and she cuddled up close to him, understanding the emotions bubbling up inside of him. This was one of the things she loved about Goofy, how close he allowed himself to be to others, and the sacrifices he was willing to make for the sake of others. This was a man she would be proud to marry.

* * *

><p>From there on, all parties agreed to peacefully leave one another alone to attend to their own business. Clarabelle took Horace out to return him to the hospital, and Peg did the same for Pete to attend to his mechanical injuries. Mickey called off his crew, letting the coronation go on interrupted, but silently watched from the shadows as Ezekiel and Goofy addressed their people. The crowd that had come to see the new ruler were shocked to see Goofy instead of Barnaby, but when he held aloft the System Sword, they knelt just as easily. Goofy also announced the official date for he and Millie's wedding, while condemning Barnaby and sentencing him to jail for all of his crimes. The people of America were overjoyed to erase the stain Barnaby's sins had given their kingdom and were willing to start fresh, putting all of their hopes into their new king.<p>

Minnie and Daisy stayed throughout the entire ceremony, standing by Millie's side and wishing her the best of luck with her real engagement. The celebration lasted throughout the entire day, with dances, banquets, and the press nearly passed out from all the stories they were able to come out with. Minnie knew that her reputation would be entirely ignored, given everything that happened that day, but was willing to let it pass. Night had fallen and the celebration was still going on strong, but Daisy and Minnie knew they had to leave and report back to headquarters. Minnie asked Daisy for a little more time to say goodbye to Millicent. To be fair, that wasn't entirely a lie, as she did say her goodbyes to Millie. She just also did something extra.

Taking a lesson from the museum robbery, Minnie figured Mickey had gotten in by the 'security breach' she had created. This time, that meant the broken window in the kitchen. The glass had been cleaned up, but it was still empty, save for the pirate heading to the window to leave. Minnie caught him before he could even try, shouting for him as she opened the door. "Captain, wait!"

Mickey paused, and quickly rubbed his eyes as 'allergies' were still bothering him, before turning to face her with his usual cockiness. "Come ta see me off, turtledove? Or do I gotta remind ye that ye fergot the cuffs again?" He wasn't in the mood for their usual chasing game.

Minnie lightly walked into the room, holding her hands behind her back. "It's okay, Captain, I'm not here to arrest you. I'm… it's, well… I wanted to ask you something." He raised an eyebrow of piqued interest, so she felt safe enough to walk up closer. "I can't stay long, so I'll make this quick." Their faces met, and Minnie used all of her adorable attributes to ensure a victory in her line of questioning. She bent forward, batted her eyelashes, and pouted her lips as she spoke, remembering her lessons from Daisy. "Would you like to go on a date?"

While it can be said that Mickey had done some very stupid things in the name for love, this didn't mean he was a complete moron, so he didn't believe her right away. He stared down at her, and then poked his fingers into his ears to remove any possible blockage. He had wanted to hear those words from her for months, so he needed to make sure he was hearing them correctly. "… Say that again?"

Minnie drew herself closer to Mickey so that only a breath could have separated their bodies. "Well, after seeing Millie and Goofy together… I thought… why not?" she pulled her hands up, shyly twiddling her thumbs near her chest. Daisy had told Minnie to use the attributes she was born with to make a man obey her, and Minnie's chief attribute was her adorability. It was kind of demeaning that had to resort to such sordid tactics to help the law, but a real N.A.V.Y. woman had to use whatever talents she had to do get justice served. Right now, justice could be served by being cute as a button. "Do you want to go on a date?"

Something akin to a choir of angels was singing in Mickey's head. "Really? I mean, really really?" he took her hands in his, so excited in what was being offered that some of his manly pride was forgotten. "Like, the whole deal? Dinner and dancin' and all that good stuff? An honest ta goodness date with ye and me?" He had already been forced to part with his best friend, so he needed to make sure this wonderful offer wasn't a trick. He didn't think his heart could handle anything else.

Privately, Minnie noted that it was an effort on her part to be this cute, while Mickey was being adorable with a natural air. She then immediately corrected herself – no, no, he wasn't adorable, he was annoying. That was the right word. He wasn't cute, boys weren't cute, pirates weren't cute! She blinked hard to keep her emotions in check, remembering she still had an act to play. "Um… yes, sure, all of that. I'll meet you at that bar I was supposed to be undercover in. Meet me there on Saturday around five… if all of that is okay with you."

It was more than okay with him, she judged, as he suddenly began to spin her around in a made up dance around the floor. "Whoo hoo! It's a date! Five, the bar, ye and me!" She still spun around when he let her go, due to her skates, and he still cheered on. "It'll be the best time ever! I'll get ye a fancy dinner, and, and, and we'll go dancin', the good kind of dancin'! And singin', tons a singin', and I'll dress up real nice, and we'll have a swell time!" By the time Minnie could control her legs and stop spinning in place, she was so dizzy that she fell forward into Mickey's arms. The room still spun in her eyes, so she wondered if all of his excitement was being exaggerated in her mind due to her rattled mind. Yet even when her vision and balance cleared, he was still grinning widely and loudly proclaiming his delightful intentions. "Yer gunna have the time of yer life, turtledove! Oh, I gotta go and get ready! Saturday will be here before I know it!" He kissed her on the cheek with a loud smack, and then skipped to the window – only remembering his manly pride when he got the Minnie and Daisy shaped holes in the glass, and then jumped out with all the masculinity he could force into a jump.

Minnie rubbed her kissed cheek, still stunned as to the level of utter joy she had just seen. Men weren't supposed to act with such ecstasy upon being asked for a date. What reason did he have to be so excited for? It wasn't as if dates were big affairs. The notion came to her that maybe it wasn't so much the date he was excited over, but the fact it was she who wanted the date. Her kissed cheek reddened, and she shook her head to try and get rid of such thoughts.

He was just being his moronic self and that was all. He probably just got as excited to get breakfast in the morning. This date was nothing special. She was nothing special. She was going to use this date to get information from him about Magica, so it wasn't even a real date. Since he had been using head games with her all this time, it was her turn to use them on him. The date wasn't real because none of their emotions were real.

So it was with a fake happiness that she pranced out of the kitchen, off to be fake thrilled in finding the right outfit for this fake date.

* * *

><p>Mirage hadn't been seen during any of the madness of the coronation, as she was busy in her own personal business. That same night, she was perched on the roof of a worn out building, using binoculars to spy on a cuddling couple in their home. Right now it served little purpose, as she already had memorized both of their schedules. All she gained by watching these two now was an even deeper hatred for the both of them. The happily married Amelia and Delbert Doppler had no right to be happy. Watching them only fueled her revenge fantasies, and she hissed lightly as she imagined what would take place in the future.<p>

As she continued spying, she also noticed the time on their clock. It was just about time for her to make the call she promised her benefactor. She sat down on the edge of the roof, and slid out a silver mirror case from her clothes, the very same model given to Mickey for secret communication. She pressed in the correct coordinates, and put on her sweetest smile for the woman on the other end of the line when she appeared on the small screen. "Good evening, Miss De Spell. I trust everything I've done has been to your satisfaction?"

Magica's end of the screen was dark, as if she wasn't in a well lit room. "It hasn't exactly gone to plan, but if everything I've been hearing about the coronation is correct, it's better than I could have hoped for. Everyone over there will be so invested in their new king and his royal wedding that the thought of going after Thatch again will never cross their minds. You played Barnaby perfectly."

Mirage had also heard strange rumors of what had happened in the coronation, but as long as they didn't affect her pay, it was nothing to be worried about. "Barnaby never suspected it was you who sent me there to work for him. But it doesn't seem like you to call me up just to congratulate me." She had worked for Magica long enough to know the older woman didn't dish out compliments for no reason.

Magica smiled thinly as she was glad to work with someone who understood her so well. "Captain Mickey has been making strange demands, revolving around his supposed affair with a girl from the N.A.V.Y. I can't have anyone working for me who has something they care for deeply enough to get in the way of their jobs. I can't get rid of her or he'll get suspicious."

Mirage smirked at the mention of the N.A.V.Y., since killing off one of Amelia's girls would wound Amelia greatly. "It would be my pleasure to rid the world of one more N.A.V.Y. girl… and I've wanted to see the dear Captain again anyway. Who do you want me to dispose of?"

"Private Minerva Mouse. I don't care how it's done, just do it soon and make sure nothing can be tied back to me. Your payment will come a week after the obituaries have her name." Magica reached towards her screen, ready to shut off the line when she had made her beliefs clear. "I can't have anyone with any annoying personal attachments working for me. That's why I've let you work for me for so long." Once the threat was made, she shut off her screen, and sat down in her dark office. She wanted to be alone for a while.

On the other end, Mirage chuckled as she put the case back underneath her clothes. She resumed watching the happy couple, knowing she could afford to spend a few more minutes with her obsession before getting to work on this new assignment. The name Minerva Mouse was familiar to her, and she remembered hearing about the rookie's mistakes in the newspapers. Getting rid of her would be easy, so there was no need to rush things. There was enough time to plan it so that Amelia would bear the full front of suffering from her death. That would be the beginning of Amelia's torture.

Mirage could almost laugh as she realized she was giving Minnie time to enjoy her last days on earth. The mouse had better make good use of them.

**End Of Chapter Seventeen.**


	18. Date Versus Deal

Lies, the truth is I'd be nothing without you and your fantastic editing skills.

* * *

><p>Preparing for a date with Mickey turned out to be much harder than preparing for a date with Mortimer. For starters, because of Minnie's low rank she couldn't rent out a pirate disguise like Daisy had. She resorted to digging into her old dresses, tearing them apart, and then sewing them together shabbily in order to give off the appearance that she couldn't afford decent clothes. At least the lies came along easily, as when she told her friends and superiors that Mortimer had arranged for her to take leave for another party, it was a believable excuse. The lies to herself were much harder to swallow.<p>

This was not a date, this was a mission. Dates implied they were getting to know each other and further their relationship. She couldn't care less about any more of his history, and they certainly didn't have a relationship. This was more like a business meeting, an exchanging of goods and information. She'd let him look at her goods while he gave her information. That was all, and to think any more of it would just get her into further trouble.

At a quarter to five that Saturday, she was standing in front of the bar she had hoped to never set foot in again. Though there was a fear of being recognized in that place, the bigger reason for her reluctance was reality. Though she was carrying a pistol for safety, she knew that once she started this date, she couldn't go back, at least not without information about Magica. She recalled with disgust how he had pawed at her on Mortimer's ship, and this time there wouldn't be anyone to interrupt him. Yet she had also seen him act the part of a complete gentleman. Which Mickey would she encounter today?

She closed her eyes and began to take deep breaths in order to calm herself. Whatever would happen today, she could take care of herself. She was a proud member of the N.A.V.Y. and if she couldn't fend off one pirate, then she didn't deserve the uniform. The breathing seemed to be doing the trick as her body relaxed and she could even imagine the scent of fresh roses. Actually, that smell was fresher than her imagination could provide. What an odd thing to smell, among spilled beer and rotten pirates.

She opened her eyes, and followed the scent behind her. Mickey stood there, holding out a sloppily wrapped up bouquet of roses, and judging by the way his hands were bandaged, he had plucked them himself. At first glance it looked like he was wearing his usual tossed together pirate outfit, but within seconds she noticed that previous stains and signs of dirt were gone. He had hand washed his clothes dozens of times until they almost ripped at the seams. There was a second smell that was slightly masked by the roses – Minnie recognized it as cologne that Mortimer tended to wear. It was an expensive brand, so obviously Mickey had stolen some for himself.

Minnie snatched the flowers out of his hands so she could hide her reddening face in them. She wasn't flustered that he had put so much effort into his appearance and presentation. She was just feeling feverish. Who knew how many germs and parasites these seedy bars were covered in? The fever also explained her rapidly beating heart and sweaty hands. It was his entire fault that she was getting sick. She was losing control of the situation, and she fumbled for words to try and regain the control. "Th… thank you, Captain, this is… very nice of you." She could allow him to have one compliment, but now it would be strictly business.

"Glad ye like it, turtledove." Mickey slid up to her side, and looped an arm around her arm. "We're gunna do everythin' I promised. Dinner, dancin', all the good stuff. Let's get goin!" He began to walk away from the bar, already having a set destination in mind.

Minnie's legs tripped over themselves, confused as to the direction he was heading in. "H-hey, wait!" She lifted her face from the flowers to make eye contact. "We aren't going in the bar?" At least if they were in public, he would have to show some restraint. Plus it would have been easier to keep track of time. Have a drink, get the info, and then she could leave. What was he planning now?

Mickey clicked his tongue to his teeth to make a sound of disapproval. "Tch! Me girl deserves some class better than all that. I already got everythin' all set up. Nothin' but the best fer me turtledove." He almost sounded sincere. She could have believed this, if this was a real date. But it wasn't a real date, as she kept repeating to herself. For someone who was so firm in believing this wasn't a real date, she felt a great need to tell herself the same fact over and over. She saw little choice but to trust in him, following him away from the bar.

As they walked, he asked her many questions, including how she was doing, how were her friends, how where her family, and other things she believed he was feigning interest in. She would only reply with "Fine.", and kept her eyes forward. He had caught her off guard once with the roses, but she would not allow it to happen again. He still persisted until they came upon a sandy shore, where a small rowboat lay. It was old and wooden, and in the middle of it was a picnic basket. Mickey released her arm to jog up to the boat, gesturing to it with grand enthusiasm with a wave of his arms. "Here we are! All aboard!"

"Hm.", was all Minnie said, as she walked up to the rowboat. It was nothing impressive. It was just a small boat with a small basket. It was nothing to get worked up over. So why did she find it so fitting for him and so cute? It spoke of simple pleasures for a man who enjoyed the simple things in life. "So where are we going?"

"Out to the ocean." He didn't give her a chance to step in, instead grabbing her around the waist and lifting her into the boat. She had jerked, ready to hit him for the inappropriate touching she had predicted, but once she was seated he let her go. "Ye just sit there and relax!" He pushed the boat away from the sand, and then ran after it once it was in the water. He jumped inside, settled down, and then took both oars into his hands. "I'll take care of everythin'."

Minnie picked at her flowers as the boat began to move. The picnic no doubt held the dinner, but how were they supposed to go dancing? This boat was way too small for such movement, and even if they tried, they would capsize. This date was most likely rush of ideas at the last minute. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of thinking he had put real thought and detail into this date. Not that it was a date. Because, well, you know, it wasn't a date. It was certainly not a date.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, reminding herself why she was really there. She needed to get vital information about Magica out of him, and she had stalled plenty. She placed the roses at her feet, smoothed down her dress, laid her hands on her lap, and spoke professionally. "Captain, I-"

"Can't ye call me Mickey?" He lifted his head to look at her. She would have thought such a question would be geared with anger, but what she saw instead was sadness. It wasn't one of their usual arguments about nicknames and titles, but an honest to goodness plea. "No one's gunna hear ye, and we are on a date. Just fer today?"

She bit her lip, but, aside from calling this a date, he did have a valid point. She supposed she could afford him that mercy. "… All right. Mickey. But I expect you to call me by my name too."

"Minerva or Minnie?" The exchange cheered him up, and he waited for her with expectant eyes. The fact that he could be polite enough to ask this annoyed her when she realized he knew how to be polite, and that most times he just didn't care to show it. He was as unpredictable as ever which wouldn't help her for this interrogation.

"Either one is fine." No more distractions! Get to the point! "Cap – Mickey, I wanted to ask you some things…"

"I wanted to ask ye some things too." Mickey never stopped rowing for a second, determined not to let their conversation deter him from his duty. "What made ye wanna go on a date? I know ye said watchin' Goofy and his girl gave ye the idea, but ye can't be expectin' me ta turn inta a prince and make everythin' all okay." He raised his eyebrows, genuinely curious and not accusatory. Though had proven he was not the smartest mouse around, he wasn't entirely oblivious to Minnie's constant rejections. If a way had been found to make her more agreeable to their desires, then he wanted to keep that way memorized and keep at it more often.

Once again, Mickey had taken control of the situation and Minnie was at a loss for words. Admitting the real reason had potential to make him angry enough to cancel this not-a-date. She flashed back to Daisy's lessons, and tried to play the part of the demure lover. "Does… does it really matter?" She twiddled her thumbs to make the act more believable. "I know you're not a prince. You're Mickey. That's all the reason I needed to ask you out."

Mickey bought it hook, line, and sinker, if the exaggerated grin on his face was any hint. He began to row faster, fueled by the supposed love she was giving him. "Well… well, shucks! Haha! That's all I needed ta hear!" What a wonderful boost to his pride.

Minnie weakly smiled in turn. To be fair, she told herself, none of what she said was a lie. So there was no reason to have feeling of guilt gnawing at her stomach. That was probably just hunger. She set her expectations low as to what their meal could be. "So… can we eat?"

"Sure thing." He didn't stop rowing, and kicked off the top of the picnic basket. Minnie peered into the inside, and saw wrapped up cheeses stacked on top of each other. As she looked closer, she realized these were expensive cheeses from all over the world, obviously stolen. She then realized that the picnic basket was probably stolen, as was the rowboat. She was sitting in a mess of illegal activity. If the cheeses didn't smell so delicious, she would have been worried. "Eat up, there's plenty! Been savin' these a while now."

Minnie picked a round shaped one out, and unwrapped it slowly. "You've been saving these? Isn't it better to use up whatever you steal as fast as you can, so you can decrease the chances of being caught?"

"Some things ye just gotta save." Mickey wanted to keep rowing, so he tried to pick up a roll of cheese with his feet. "Wanted ta keep these fer a special occasion, and this is the most special of 'em all." His foot maneuvers kept failing, but he kept trying, and it elicited a few giggles out of Minnie. When he almost fell on his back from the attempt, he gave up, and set the oars aside to eat properly. He picked up the same cheese with his hand, and then saw that Minnie still hadn't taken a bite out of the one she had chosen. "Somethin' wrong, Minnie?"

"Um." Minnie looked down at her meal. The smell was overpowering, and it was begging to be eaten. "I don't know if I should…" She cautiously looked down at herself, trying to remember the exact number she weighed. Expensive cheeses such as these were bound to expand her waistline. Was she really willing to gain extra pounds for the sake of justice? "Maybe I should just skip it."

Mickey would have none of this. He quickly leaned towards her, grabbed the cheese in her hand, and shoved it towards her lips. It didn't enter her mouth, but it gave her enough to taste. "Ye N.A.V.Y. lot have got rules about everythin', don't ye? That's just silly! Shouldn't be any rules about eatin'! Food's meant ta be eaten!"

It was hard to argue with that logic, combined with that smell and taste. She bit into the cheese, and Mickey let it go so she could take some cautionary nibbles. It was just as delicious as she expected, yet she still sighed after she swallowed. "A girl in my position has to watch her figure."

"Leave that ta me!" He smirked at his own joke, but seeing her glare made him shove the rest of his cheese into his mouth to prevent anymore stupid remarks.

"It's not just about looks." Minnie explained, pausing every so often to resume eating. "To be in the N.A.V.Y., you must be at your best physical health. We can't just expect pirate hunting to keep us in shape. We stay on a strict diet and exercise regimen. What would they call me if I showed tomorrow overweight?"

"Beautiful." Mickey said while eating, some flecks of cheese flying out of his mouth with the word. Had he shown table manners, Minnie might have been flattered. He finished the rest of his cheese, and then wiped his mouth with his back of his arm. "Minnie, yer off the clock. Can't ye relax fer even a minute? I know that the N.A.V.Y. is yer pride, but what about the rest of yer life? What's the point a protectin' the world, when ye can't even enjoy the safety ye made?"

Minnie finished off her cheese, and since she lacked a napkin, had to make do with cleaning her lips with her thumb. "That's another difference between you and me. Your life is all fun and games. You don't think about the consequences, or even about tomorrow. That's an incredibly dangerous way to live." She knew she was supposed to whittle him for information while keeping the appearance of a sweetheart, but she couldn't leave his annoying attitude alone. Everything about him always provoked a response from her.

"Just because I like havin' fun doesn't mean I don't think about the next day." He leaned backwards, letting the ocean currents handle the boat steering from now on. "I make the most out of every day. Who knows how long we got? There are things I wanna do in the future, but if I die taday, then I wanna die without regrettin' how the day went." He paused. "… But I really don't wanna die, ever."

Minnie rolled her eyes but once again couldn't fight her giggles off. He was a silly and foolish man, but there was something appealing about the things he spoke of. She didn't agree with them, but could see why others would. She could see why others would follow him and be part of his crew. She could see why Ortensia was so crazy about him. The reminder of that cat created an ill feeling, and she bitterly told herself she had to get back to the important questions. Yet her mind and mouth had a sudden change in what was important. "Do you really regret what happened on the Hawkins?"

Mickey blinked twice, just as surprised by that question as she was. He had apologized for what he had done, back in Scrooge's zoo, but apologies were different than regrets. His eyes moved as he thought how to best answer her. Only one word could articulate his thoughts. "… Kinda."

Minnie crossed her arms, instantly dissatisfied. "Kinda?"

"I regret gettin' ye in trouble." Mickey nodded, pressing his fingers together awkwardly. Any time he apologized, he gave off the appearance of a child being reprimanded by his teacher. It often seemed, to Minnie, that the more honest his emotions were, the more childlike his actions were. Was he emotionally immature, or was his inner child alive and well? "Course I regret that. That wasn't supposed ta happen. All I wanted was ta get outta the ship with no one gettin' hurt. But!" For this, he slapped a hand on his knee. "I absolutely do not reget meetin' ye. That was the best prison I was ever in."

"Have you been in so many prisons?" Minnie knew know that she was just baiting him for a snarky response, but that was often how their conversations went. When they weren't arguing, talking with him was fun. He usually had an answer for everything, and aimed for a laugh. Everything he did was for the sake of making someone happy, even with just talking. It was admirable. She liked talking to him.

"None with such cute guards." He winked at her, and then stood up. "Well! We got dinner outta the way, time fer some dancin'!" He began to take off his jacket.

Minnie quickly reached for her pistol, ready to put more holes in him than in the Swiss cheese in the basket if he was doing what she thought he was doing. "Don't take off your clothes!" She knew it, she just knew it, he was a terrible pervert and now that they were all along he was going to do all sorts of horrid, unspeakable and dirty things to her!

Mickey looked at her, pausing in his jacket removal. "Just takin' off the coat and shoes. We're goin' swimmin'." He didn't have a clue as to why she had gotten so flustered, as he had yet to realize to what devious lengths her imagination thought of him.

"Swimming?" Minnie wondered why her relief was taking so long to be felt and why disappointment was there first. "That's not dancing. That's… swimming."

"Ye ever actually watch someone swim?" He pulled off his boots, one by one. "It's just like dancin', all of them fancy moves and kickin' around." Feeling as though that was enough to make sense, he dove into the water, creating a small splash against the boat. He poked his head out of the water to watch for Minnie. "Whaddya waitin' fer?"

Minnie glanced over the side of the boat, uneasy. Daisy had taught her how to be flirtatious on land, not underwater. Then there were the more obvious reasons for reluctance. "You're not supposed to go swimming after you've just eaten! You have to wait - "

"Got rules fer everythin', don'tcha?" Mickey reached up, grabbed Minnie by the shoulders, and yanked her into the water.

Minnie shrieked and sputtered, quickly swimming up to the surface. Oh, he would pay for that! She wrestled her shoes off, threw them on the boat, and then glared at Mickey. "You…!" Mickey laughed, and dove under, and Minnie followed suit. They chased each other under the water until they needed to breathe, and when they did, they couldn't resist engaging in splashing wars. Minnie's anger and reasoning went away with the currents, as she put all of her energy into 'capturing' Mickey in the water chase.

Sometimes she'd catch him, and sometimes he'd catch her. The winner would relish in seconds of victory before letting the loser go, and then it would start all over again. Legs were grabbed, shoulders were shoved, and the ocean was an endless playground. It wasn't until Minnie thought to herself how much fun she was having that she hadn't actually had fun like this in years. Being with her girlfriends was fun, but actual game playing fun hadn't been done since she was a child. When had that stopped?

When had she stopped being a child and stepped into the world of adults? When had she decided games were only for the past? Her life had been so devoted to the N.A.V.Y. and pleasing her parents that her own need for pleasure was forgotten. Had Mickey sensed that in her, and done everything in his power to remind her that pleasure was just as important as pride? During his stay on the Hawkins, he had encouraged singing and jokes, and it was because of things like that which had brought them closer. Mickey was the embodiment of both child and adult and saw no reason to separate the two.

He had once asked her what she wanted, and had done what he could do to fulfill it. It was perhaps this that made it all right, for this time, for him to touch her, hold her, chase her. This was fun because he made it fun. There were things that could only be brought of her because he was doing it. She was grateful and giddy, and now when she brought her head up to breathe, she laughed until her lungs ached. She could hear him laugh, and it made her laugh all the harder.

Her body was beginning to wear out, and when her laughed began to die down, she saw Mickey climbing back on the boat. "There's somethin' I want ye ta see." He held out his arms towards her, and Minnie swam into them. She was feeling very agreeable, and was curious as to what sight could be seen. He pulled her out of the water, and laid her body against him. Again, she was quite agreeable to this. For the life of her, she couldn't think of any reason to object.

Once she was settled, he looked out to the water, and so her eyes followed. The sun was setting, and the ocean reflected the melting of pinks and reds. Minnie had seen plenty of sunsets in her life, and waited to hear why this one was so important. "Nice, huh?" Mickey lazily laid an arm on top of Minnie and she didn't move. "Probably a ton a people seein' this same sunset… and around the world, people are seein' it rise. This world is so huge. I feel like I could swim ferever and never see it all." Minnie's head lay on his chest, and she could feel the rise and fall of it. "I know bein' a part of the N.A.V.Y. Is important ta ye… but… ye shouldn't ferget that this world is so huge. There's still so much ta do. Still so much ta see."

His fingers drifted over her face, and drops of water dripped off and onto her already wet cheek. "Marryin' that guy… just seems like yer closin' off the entire world. Closin' off yer life. Ye can still do so much, and it's… just not like ye ta give up. Ye deserve better than ta be locked up."

Minnie carefully lifted her face up to meet him. Her dress was soaked with cold water, but the heat coming off his eyes was enough to make her sweat. There weren't any tricks or boasts in his word. This was Mickey being Mickey. "…You really… care… don't you."

"Aye." This wasn't head games or a scheme to get under her dress. This was what she had dreaded and hoped for all this time. This was completely sincerity and honesty. "I've always cared." He cupped her cheeks in his hands, wiping away fresh tears beginning to show in Minnie's eyes. "I love ye."

For the first time since had had said the l-word, she believed him. There was nothing to gain from a lie here. There was no denial or getting around it. Understanding this, she felt weights falling off her body, and choked back a sob. She was defenseless, and she threw her arms around him. He returned the embrace tightly, as if to let her go would be never getting the chance to hold her again. Though it was a struggle to speak, Minnie demanded to speak it. "I don't… I don't want to marry Mortimer…" Though she had known it for so long, to say it out loud, and to say it to Mickey, threw off more of the weights. "I don't want to leave the N.A.V.Y. yet… There's still so much I want to do."

She shivered, as for all the emotional warmth they were going through, the water was still cold. Mickey took one arm off her to wrap his jacket around her tiny body. That offered a chance for their faces to meet again, and Mickey smiled down at her. He knew she had doubted his feelings, and now was the time to assure her that everything was true. Maybe once he did, she could admit the one thing he wanted desperately to hear. "I wanna marry ye, Minnie. Someday… when yer all good and ready. Then… I'll make ye the happiest woman alive. And ye won't have ta worry about makin' me the happiest man alive… cause… cause just bein' with ye will do that. I'll take care of ye, and I'll always be at yer side. I'll make sure ye never cry, and that ye do whatever ye want. In sickness, health, all the stuff the holy men say. And I can wait as long as it takes… if… if I know ye feel…" He trailed off, hoping she understood what he needed.

She understood. She had accepted he was sincere, but what of herself? Could she break her own barriers? To go beyond those borders would mean she could never go back. She could never wrap up those foolish denials again. Up to this point, she had been honest about everything, except the most important point of them all.

He had brought excitement into her life and questioned her way of living. Her life hadn't been the same since she met him. He made her fight for her beliefs and stand up for herself. He had brought laughter back to her body and shared an understanding that only few possessed. He had made her debate the very nature and meaning behind the… l-word.

No. Not the l-word. Love.

Could she love him, if she had never felt it before? Were these confused and befuddled feelings inside of her the same as Millie's feelings for Goofy, for Daisy and Donald, for Clarabelle and Horace? The same as the way her parents felt for each other? He was so untraditional that it made sense that any feelings for him would be the same. Or was she thinking too much about a matter that just came to people? Now or never, did she love him?

Mickey's patience could only hold out for so long, and perhaps the girl needed encouragement. He brushed his cheek against hers, a tender nuzzle that let her know he wasn't going anywhere. A gentle breath escaped her, and she returned the display of affection. But they couldn't bring themselves to pull their faces entirely back, as when the corner of their lips touched, they stopped in place. It became very clear to them what had to be done next. Her confession could wait.

His fingers tipped her chin upwards, and her head tilted back agreeably. She began to close her eyes as she felt his hot breath come closer to her mouth. But her eyes didn't close fully since she spotted something strange stick out of Mickey's jacket pocket. Later in her life, she would ask herself why in the world she felt the need to check out the strange object instead of giving in to her passionate desires, and she still wouldn't have an answer. In the present, Minnie couldn't resist the urge to pluck the object out. Mickey hadn't noticed, as his eyes were already closed and his mouth was mid pucker.

The object was one of the illicit photos Daisy had taken of Minnie without Minnie's knowledge. If it had been had any of the other four photographs Daisy had shown Mickey, Minnie would have dismissed the matter and resumed the mouth melt. She might have even thought it was adorable, and blushed with more of her adorable giggling. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Mickey just so happened to have gotten the one of Minnie undressing.

Mickey was wondering why it was taking so long for Minnie to return his smooch, so he opened his eyes. Instead of seeing his stimulated sweetheart waiting with baited breath, he saw a murderous mouse ready to mangle him. His eyes fell on the photograph she was holding, and instantly understood. He was a dead man. "Uh-oh. Minnie… t-turtledove… it's not what it looks like…"

"_You_!" Minnie crumbled the photograph in one hand, all of her romantic emotions evaporating into thin air. "You… _BILGE RAT_!" He really was just a pervert trying to get under her dress! All of this had just been head games! All of this had been one huge lie! "Oooh, and to think I…" No, it was better not to finish that sentence. She hadn't been about to do anything, or admit anything, because there was nothing to do or admit! "Get away from me, you filthy pirate!" She drew her hand back, and then slapped him hard enough to send him sailing back into the water.

Mickey flailed as he tried to swim upright. "W-wait! I can explain!" He tried to grab the boat to climb back on board, but she kicked him off immediately. "Minnie, wait!"

"Don't you ever come near me again!" Minnie snapped, and took the oars into her hands. She began to row herself back to land, hating herself for falling into his trap, and hating him even more. Clarabelle had been right, and Minnie was foolish to have ever thought otherwise. That rat didn't feel the l-word towards her, and neither did she! That was what it was, the l-word. She had not felt the l-word on this not-a-date.

Mickey helplessly floated in the water as she rowed away from him. He could admit some of this was his fault, but was more upset that he had gotten so close only to be set back so far. He continued watching her until she was a speck on the horizon, hoping that maybe she'd turn back and fetch him. When those hopes were dashed, he resigned himself to his fate, and began swimming towards the shore. "Back ta the drawin' board…" he mumbled into the water.

* * *

><p>Mickey wasn't the only rodent to feel as if he was sinking that night. Mortimer, however, was in the metaphorical sense of sinking, seeing as he was on land. Specifically, he was in his mansion, pacing around his office, using a thin screen to discuss business with a client. At least, that's what he would tell anyone who saw what he was doing. The truth was much more pathetic. He was almost as wet as Mickey, since he was nervously sweating so profusely.<p>

"S-So… you see." Mortimer fidgeted as he talked, unable to talk to his client as he made circles on his expensive carpet. "You've just got to help me out. All of my investors are leaving me, my bills are way out of control… I can't even afford decent security for my parties anymore! If they just gave me more time, I could pay back all of my debts… but I need the money before the end of the year!" He stopped to run a hand down his face, the humiliation of the future enough to make him retch. "If Minerva's parents find out I've gone broke, they'll cancel the whole arrangement, and how is that going to look? That I'm so bad off, I can't even marry a farmer's daughter? I'll be the laughingstock of the kingdom!"

The voice on the other end of the line spoke calmly, a stark contrast to Mortimer's hysteria. "I understand completely, Mr. Rodawn. It would be a shame to lose your place in society, after everything you've done for the kingdom." The client left that sentence as it was, letting Mortimer believe he had actually done some good. Telling the truth and saying he was just another snob throwing away his inherited fortune on trivial matters might upset the deal they planned to make.

"My thoughts exactly." Mortimer smiled, fully believing his clients translucent lies. "Then you understand my position… and if we make this deal, I swear you won't regret it! You're the only one I can turn to in my hour of need." Since only this client would agree to begging and secrecy. "So… how about it? Can you help me out, Miss De Spell?"

The older duck smiled kindly at him, enjoying how he squirmed as he waited for her answer. She was in a good mood today. How generous of fate to have the fiancé of the woman she wanted dead come calling to beg for financial help. This couldn't have gone any better if she had planned it herself. "It would be my pleasure. I'll take care of those nasty little bills for you, and her parents won't hear a word of it. But I'm no fairy godmother. You will have to do some favors for me."

Mortimer disliked the idea of having to actually work, but this was not the time to be picky. "I'll do anything you say! You name it!" He knew the rumors of Magica's dealings in the black market, and figured as long as he played carefully, he could wade as many illegal handlings as it took until he was back on his feet.

Magica tapped the top of her staff as a plan formed in her dark mind. "In about a month, I want you to throw another party. I'll pay for all the expenses, and give you instructions for what is to happen during the party. I'll be calling you every weekend to let you know what else I need done."

Magica didn't appear to be the partying type, but Mortimer wouldn't argue or question why she wanted one. In fact, another party would show his high class friends that he was still on top. Maybe working with Magica would be easier than he first thought. He rubbed his hands together, relaxing as expensive party plans began to brew in his mind. "You got it, Miss De Spell! I'll get to work on it! Anything else you want?"

Magica stood up from her chair. "Invite that darling little fiancé of yours. Goodnight, Mr. Rodawn." She shut off her screen, satisfied with her deal. She would have to make her own plans to go along with that party. For now, there was something she needed to check up on. Picking up her staff, she left her office, and traveled through her multilayered office building until she was in the third basement. This was a room divided into two – a jail cell, and a walled off section where one could sit and watch the cell through a glass window. Magica sat behind the glass to watch what was taking place in the cell.

She mentally patted herself on the back for hiring the infamous Beagle Boys. They could do real damage for low pay. The beagle in the cell was beating Darkwing Duck, and had been doing so for days. Darkwing couldn't defend himself, as he was chained to the wall. He was bloody, bruised, but alive. Despite being a thorn in Magica's side, he had his uses. She and Morgana had found out about his secret identity, but that of the other members of the Justice Ducks remained a mystery. She needed Darkwing to stop being a duck and become a stool pigeon.

The Beagle Boy punched Darkwing across the face, and then grabbed him by the neck. "How's about now, bird brain? Feel like tellin' me about your friends? Everything will go a lot easier on you if you spill your guts before I spill 'em!"

Darkwing breathed heavily, and then airily waved with one hand, signaling his captor to come closer. The Beagle did, but Darkwing kept waving, insisting he come closer. The Beagle came closer and closer until his wear was right up to Darkwing's beak. Darkwing took another breath, and then used his strength to answer. "_I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts_-"

That earned him a punch to the stomach, and the caped crusader gagged in pain. The whaling resumed, and Magica rubbed her temples, her good mood gone. She would give him a few more days to break, but if nothing came out of it, she would have to threaten to break something else. She was in no rush right now. She could stay and enjoy the show.

**End of Chapter Eighteen.**


	19. Partners Versus Poison

Lies has the patience of a saint for putting up with all the times I accidentally put Della instead of Donna.

* * *

><p>The good thing about agonizing pain, Darkwing thought, is that if it happens all over, it makes it difficult to concentrate on one area and allows your entire body to go numb. It wasn't a very sensible thought, but after countless days of being beaten to a pulp, it becomes hard to think clearly. He had lost track of time, and couldn't tell if he had been there a week or a month. However, he was pretty sure he had at least six broken bones, unless those six cracking noises were something else. That he didn't try to think about too much. Besides, he'd get out of this. He just needed a plan.<p>

Today, if this was a new day, he was alone in his cell and still chained up to the wall. He heard the faint sound of a door opening, and he opened his blurry eyes. After a moment of concentration, his vision cleared, and he could see two figures entering the viewing room beside his cell. He knew one was Magica, and every time she entered he made sure to give her an immature expression. For all of the torture she planned against him, he hadn't told her a thing about the Justice Ducks, and never would. It was the second figure that gave him hesitation.

Morgana walked behind her aunt, paler than normal, and when she saw Darkwing's condition, her legs almost gave way. She and Magica sat down behind the glass, and Magica sighed with aggravation. "I've wasted more than enough time on you, Darkwing Delusion, and time is money. I'm beginning to see that no matter how much you endure, you won't tell me a thing about the other members of your organization."

Darkwing smirked, confident as always. "I guess the saying is true, you're never too old to learn." Though he was more than happy to dig at Magica, he kept his eyes on Morgana. He hadn't seen her since his kidnapping, and she didn't appear to be harmed. While this gave him relief, it also worried him, for it meant the possibility that she had become his enemy. Despite the growing evidence that everyone, including his own common sense, had shown him that Morgana had been an enemy all along, a strain in his heart still believed in her good nature and longed for her redemption. Even now, her face contained fear and her eyes were tearing up.

Magica was carrying two things. The first was her staff, the one she had never been seen without. The second was a black purse, which she opened and began to empty out. "The same could be said for you… Drake Mallard. I'm going to give you some extra incentive, and this time, even you wouldn't be stupid enough to keep your beak shut." She showed him each item as it was pulled out. The first item was a pistol, which she laid in her lap. The second item was a key ring. "These will open your chains, once you've told me what I want to hear." The final item was the hand held two way communications system, disguised as a pocket mirror, the same one she had given to Mickey and Mirage.

She flipped it open, and on the other screen was Gosalyn, who looked just as afraid but also as confident as her father. The way her view was angled showed that someone was holding the device towards Gosalyn, and it was impossible to make out where she was or what was being done to her. Darkwing's bravado was gone in an instant, and he jerked in his chains in a hopeless effort to reach her. "_Gosalyn_!"

"I'm okay!" Gosalyn shouted back, only visible from the neck up. "They didn't hurt me! They don't have the guts! Hang in there, Dad!" She had just as much belief in her father as he did in himself, and to prove it she stuck her tongue out at the one holding the communication device. "See? They won't do anything to me!"

"Not yet." Magica cut in, her cold voice silencing Gosalyn. "I've done the homework that Morgana here failed to." Morgana by now had buried her face in her hands, unable to look. Magica ignored what she considered theatrics. "I've rarely heard of bachelors adopting children just out of loneliness. So I looked into the orphanage where she came from. Her family was caught up in a money laundering scheme, but when they couldn't pay back their debts, they were massacred by a hit man. Only this little dear survived. You took her in to locate the hit man and his employers, but once you wrapped up that case, you decided to keep her. Very sweet."

If looks could kill, Magica would be dead sixteen times before she hit the floor. Darkwing glared sheer hatred at the woman who was putting his little girl in danger, and his voice shook with his rage. "Let her go. _Let her go!_ If you don't…"

"You'll do what?" Magica chuckled, finding his defiance hilarious. "You're in no position to make threats. Right now, my hired help is keeping Gosalyn secure, but all they need from me is the right word, and they won't hesitate to finish the job."

"You wouldn't dare!" For once Darkwing hoped Magica was not as evil as he had always believed her to be. Evil came in many shapes and forms, but it would take a special kind to take the life of a child. He wasn't the type of man who thought everyone had some good in them, but right now he'd be willing to change his entire ideology if it meant Gosalyn got out of this unharmed. To add to his growing horror, he could not find a single trace of hesitation on Magica's face.

Magica set her staff aside, and picked up the pistol. "As I'm sure Scroogie darling has told you, I just love making deals. So I'll add an extra one, free of charge." She then pointed the pistol to Morgana's head, deep enough to go through her niece's black and white hair. The niece herself froze in place, lowering her hands as she felt the cold steel pressed into her. "She's gone off the track enough times to be a hindrance." Morgana exchanged a quick look with Darkwing, silently telling him that Magica felt the same lack of hesitation to kill a child and to kill a family member. Moral decency and family bonds meant little to the woman holding the weapon. "Two birds with one stone."

"Don't, Dad!" Gosalyn yelled, and from the way she began to move about, she was most likely just as restrained as her father. "The Justice Ducks will get us out of here! They'll - " A grizzly hand, no doubt belonging to yet another Beagle Boy, grabbed her beak to keep her quiet.

Darkwing continued wrestling in his chains, but gradually slowed down to a complete halt. He was in the one danger he been extremely frightened of ever since he started his vigilante career – putting his loved ones in harm's way. His sagging shoulders signaled defeat as he looked back and forth between Gosalyn, who was trying and failing to bite her captor's hand, and Morgana who was still unable to move, hot tears pouring down her face. He had unfortunately gotten just what he wanted with Morgana, proof that she wasn't aligned with Magica. Now it could cost her life.

He did care for his friends, despite the terrible way he often treated them. Launchpad was his best friend, Donald had great potential, and even Minnie had an interesting spark to her. To give them up would be to take out parts of his heart. He tried to console himself. The Justice Ducks would have a chance to prepare and defend themselves, whereas Gosalyn and Morgana were in danger right here and now. He lowered his head, his heavy heart weighing him down. "… All right. I'll… I'll tell you everything, just… don't hurt them. Please."

Magica smiled, though she didn't signal for the Beagle Boy to stop nor did she remove the pistol. "Normally, I detest people who put love above power, but even they can have their advantages. I want names, addresses, occupations, everything and anything about each and every single member of your organization. If I find out you lied or left out a single detail, I'll make sure you watch your dear girls suffer before taking care of you myself."

Morgana felt no doubt that Darkwing would give Magica all she wanted, and the fear for her life knotted with guilt tightly in her stomach. Her eyes shot downward, unable to face her love. As she was ready to spiral into self loathing, she spotted Magica's staff resting so closely nearby. An idea sprung to mind, and with it came courage. Her arms lashed out to grab the staff, and she swung it hard up towards her aunt's head. Magica fell out of her chair and landed hard on the floor with a rough bruise to her head. When she looked up, Morgana loomed over her, ready to smash the staff to her aunt's head once more.

"_No_!" Magica screamed, but it was not in defense of her life, for she did not cower or try to protect herself. Her burst of panic was towards the staff, as her eyes bore into it instead of at her attacker. "Put that down! You'll break it! Give it back to me!" In one swift turn of events, Magica had gone from a competent villain to a screeching madwoman, flailing her arms to try and grab her staff back.

A confused Morgana used her height against the short Magica, taking a step back and keeping the staff up high. She didn't know why Magica was growing hysterical over the staff, but she needed to use all the opportunities given to her. "Yes… I will break it." Morgana waved her arms to demonstrate that she was more than willing to do it. "I'll smash it into a million pieces if you don't do what I say!"

Magica's panic was so perplexing, she didn't even try to use the pistol that now laid on the floor. She sat up, her arms shaking as she kept her entire focus on her precious staff. "You can't break it! You mustn't break it! Give it back to me!"

Morgana kept the staff in one hand, and used her free hand to point to the dropped communicator. "First, tell them to release Gosalyn. Then shut down all of the security in the building." When Magica didn't do it right away, Morgana aimed the staff towards the glass window, and Magica elicited a scream that could have broken the window instead.

The older woman snatched up the communicator, speaking rapidly to the captors on the other side. "Let the brat go! Take her home! Shut down the entire building!"

The Beagle Boy on the other line let go of Gosalyn's break, trying to understand why his employer just changed her mind. "Uh, what's goin' on over there?"

"Just do it!" Magica snapped the communicator closed, and then looked back to the staff, almost in tears. As Morgana waited for a signal that the power was off, she noted that she didn't think her aunt was capable of being reduced to this mess. What was so important about this staff that Magica didn't even want to risk shooting Morgana over? All Morgana knew about the staff was one day, out of the blue, Magica had started using it, though Magica had never shown any sign of back problems or such a flair for fashion. It couldn't be a family heirloom, because Magica barely understood the meaning of the word sentimental.

The light in the room went out, and Morgana understood that to mean the power in the building had been shut up. They could all still see one another, and Morgana made it clear she still had the staff as she pointed it towards the dropped key ring. "Now go and release him." Magica quickly picked up the key ring and stood up wobbly, still fearful for what would happen to her staff. Morgana followed Magica out of the room and into the jail cell, and then the older woman carefully undid each chain until Darkwing fell to the floor in a heap.

He pushed himself to his feet, and gratefully smiled at Morgana. "Thanks." He probably could have thought of something more romantic and eloquent, but he was physically and emotionally drained. Morgana threw her arms around him, and although he winced, he was glad to return the embrace. His heart had been right all along. She was a good woman worthy of redemption. Wait until he rubbed this into Launchpad and Donald's faces! He kissed her cheek but knew anything further would have to wait. "Let's go and make sure Gosayln is okay."

Morgana nodded, taking his hand. "The Beagle Boys aren't smart enough to think about why Magica changed her mind. They'll definitely take her home." She and Darkwing headed for the door of the cell, and Morgana felt as long as she held the staff, she was immortal and all powerful.

This was quickly proven wrong as a shot sailed out and burst into Morgana's waist. Morgana cried out and fell against Darkwing, trying to keep on her feet. He whipped his head around, and saw that Magica still had the pistol from earlier. Her sudden bout of insanity towards the staff had made her aim flawed, but she was ready to fire again. She was making it clear she'd rather the staff be destroyed than let it be taken away in someone else's hands. She lifted the pistol, ready to fire again.

"Throw it!" Darkwing yelled at the top of his lungs, and Morgana obeyed, hurling it towards Magica. The aunt dropped her pistol immediately to catch the staff and clutch it close to her chest. While the staff had been in the air, the hero and heroine had started running down the hallways, slowed down by their injuries but with the power in the building gone, the lack of security allowed them to make a quick escape. Darkwing had been right in guessing Magica could be too caught up in making sure her staff was unharmed to go after the two of them.

Magica sat in the cell, breathing heavily as she held the staff to her chest. To her immense relief, there wasn't a crack or dent anywhere on it. Once she was assured the staff was the same as it always was, she stood up, needing to check on something else. Going after her escaped prisoners didn't register in her mind as she left the cell, managing the impressive ability to run in high heels. She ran throughout the many floors of her building until she was back in her office. There were many doors in her office, but she went towards the one in the farthest corner, slamming it open and almost tripping over herself in the desperate need to get inside.

The room contained one person besides her, and she grabbed the person by the arm to look into their eyes. Once she saw them, she exhaled deeply until her lungs ached, at last feeling consolation. Everything was as it should be. Nothing had been damaged or changed. She fell onto their chest, closing her eyes. "Thank goodness…" After a moment, cold arms held her.

* * *

><p>The end of April was coming, and Oswald was still trying to figure out if his life was blessed or cursed. As he soaked his mop into the bucket of dirty water again, he tried to list the pros and cons of his current life. Con, he was now a wanted criminal, not just for making deals with pirates but also because he had escaped his jail sentence. Pro, he no longer needed to prove himself to his insensitive father and brothers, and his life was more exciting. Con, he was now working under the one pirate he hated and mopping the ship of his rival. Pro, he was now also working with the love of his life, Ortensia.<p>

He splashed the mop back onto the deck, and his pros won out as he saw Ortensia walking back on board. The boat was docked in an illegal harbor as the various crew members went back and forth to gather supplies. Ortensia was in a good mood, humming as she stepped through the wet puddles Oswald was making. Oswald smiled at her, hoping to get on her good side yet again. "Get a good haul today?"

Ortensia was feeling merciful enough to talk to him, digging her hands in her pockets and stopping in front of him. "Mickey's been in awful rut lately, have ye noticed? He's completely miserable!"

Oswald had noticed that as of lately, Mickey's moods flashed between irritable and upset. All anyone knew was that he had met up with Minnie, and since then he'd sunk lower than Davy Jones' Locker. Seeing Mickey in such lower spirits had raised Oswald's spirits higher than the clouds. Oswald kept mopping as he kept talking. "I know why that's good news for me… so why are you so happy?" as loathe as he was to admit it, Mickey had a tight rein on Ortensia's heart. It was just another reason for the rabbit to despise the mouse.

"It means he's one step closer ta givin' up on her!" Ortensia rubbed her hands together in greedy glee, close to dancing in the puddles around her feet. "Once he realizes she's not good enough fer him, he'll have ta see how good I am! It's only a matter a time now!"

"I don't know what you see in that guy." Oswald grumbled, scrubbing back and forth to keep himself occupied. He had slowly but surely learned that hugging Ortensia every time she was in hugging range was not acceptable. Even now he was a difficult time restraining himself, but chores such as these helped. "The only good thing he's ever done is give us his blessings in marriage. When are we going to get on that, anyway?"

"In yer dreams, rich boy." She then paused, looking him over and tapping her foot in the water. "… Though I guess I can't really call ye that anymore. Gunna have ta come up with a new nickname fer ye."

Oswald raised his hand to offer suggestions. "How about 'honey bunny'?" Ortensia speedily held up the claw-like knives she kept in her hands, and Oswald just as quickly changed the subject. Something else had caught his attention at the same time, and he looked over her shoulder to see more people coming on board. "… By the way… is it true that Mickey doesn't like women on his ship?"

"That's me brother fer ye." Ortensia nodded, putting her knives in her pockets. "He's the soft type, doesn't want lasses getting' hurt. It's what makes him such a sweetheart. And it shows how much he really cares about me, 'cause he let me stay on board anyway." She puffed out her chest, pride swelling at the thought of how much love and care her brother had for her. "I'm really the one special lass in his life."

Oswald pointed behind to the people behind Ortensia. "Okay, so who's that?"

Ortensia turned around, and saw Mickey walking back on board the ship. He still looked glum, hands in his jacket and lips turning every which way as he couldn't decide what to mutter about. The unusual sight that Oswald was pointing to was walking behind Mickey. It was Mirage, one hand on her hip while the other lazily dangled at her side, following Mickey onto the ship and towards his room. Various men on the ship stopped what they were doing to look at the new beauty. Appreciate whistles and catcalls were aimed at her, but she ignored them all.

"Mirage?" Ortensia's whole body appeared to hiss, her fur standing on edge. "I know that she-devil! She's the most loathsome woman ta have ever sailed the seas! She obeys the highest bidder and will stab ye in the back once ye blink! She can't be trusted!" Her hands clenched, unable to believe that she was seeing that harpy walk along with her beloved brother. Mickey walked into his bedchambers, and Mirage headed in after. "I saw her plenty before I joined this ship, and she's nothin' but trouble! She bewitches men and turns 'em into total saps!"

"Well," Oswald tilted his head to get a better look at Mirage before she went into the bed chambers. "I can see why."

Ortensia was ready to continue ranting about Mirage's misdeeds, but Oswald's innocent observation struck a nerve. She looked at the rabbit with burning eyes, daring him to speak his mind again. "What did ye say?"

Not understanding her anger, Oswald saw little harm in explaining what he said. "I just meant that I can see why guys would interested in her, if…" Only now did he see the mounting rage in her expression, and he felt himself bending backwards as she leaned forward. "If… they… liked…"

"If they what?" Ortensia was now almost towering over him, even though he was taller. "Ye think she's pretty? Ye go on and on about how I'm yer sweetie, but the minute another fancy feline comes on board, yer all ga-ga fer her? Is that it? Are ye just crazy fer cats?"

Oswald felt himself in an unusual bind. On the one hand, he was obviously doomed if he said yes, and on the other hand, he knew he'd be in trouble if he went into his usual tirade about his love for Ortensia. Yet staying silent was also a deadly answer in of itself. All he could think to do was let out a diminutive "Um."

That too was a wrong answer, since she shoved him hard enough for him to fall into his bucket. "I hate ye, ye stupid… stupid…" Her mind was too upset to come up with a proper nickname. "Stupid Oswald!" She turned and marched towards Mickey's bed chambers.

Oswald sat in the bucket, and thought a happy note. Ortensia had been jealous. Yay! Good for him! But there were better times to celebrate his unique victory, and he pulled himself out of the bucket. He chased after Ortensia, ignoring his soggy tail. "W-wait! What are you doing?"

"I'm gunna make sure that she-devil doesn't sink her claws inta me brother!" She and Oswald came up to Mickey's door, which was slightly ajar. The two cautiously stuck their heads around the corner to try and peer inside without being caught. When Ortensia saw what Mirage was doing, a murderous howl died in her throat, as Oswald had been smart enough to cover her mouth with his hand.

Mirage was laying on top of Mickey's desk, one leg propped up and the other laying bare, her arms resting behind her hair, and she had loosened up her dress enough to let it fall in all the right places. Many men would have dropped to their knees and panted like a wild dog at the sight, for Mirage was a desert beauty that was difficult to ignore her. Her voice was even made to be sultry and catch attention. "… So it would really be beneficial to us all if we made this deal. I can really make it worth your while, dear Captain."

Ortensia writhed in Oswald's grip, wanting to rip Mirage apart. Oswald saw no need for alarm, as while many men would have done anything Mirage commanded while she was posing in such a way, Mickey was unaffected. He was flopped in his chair, lobbing his yo-yo back and forth. He wasn't even looking in Mirage's direction. "I'll think about it." He said dismissively, and it was hard to say if he even knew what Mirage was talking about.

Mirage ignored the scratch to her ego, sitting up on her hands. "You seem to be a little distracted today. Should I come back tomorrow?"

Mickey shrugged one shoulder. "Nah… I dunno…" he then groaned, slumping down further in his seat in a sloppy position. "I was so close! She almost said it! Everythin' would be fine and dandy if she just said it! But no, she just had ta find that stupid photo…" He still refused to take the amount of blame owed to him in that situation. Even though he had kept the photo and had the foolishness to bring it along, he thought the entire disaster was Daisy's fault for providing the photo in the first place. Minnie had blame as well, getting so upset over one little photograph.

Minnie had always seemed to freak out whenever there was opportunity for deeper desires to be had. Mickey didn't understand why his carnal appetite towards her was met with such disgust and fright. Of course his love for her meant for her body as well, and the best way to show that was to physically show it. He was convinced she loved him too, so logically she must be thinking sordid thoughts about him as well. Modesty could only go so far before it became a hindrance. Didn't love and pleasure go hand in hand?

Mirage tapped her nails on the desk, able to guess the meaning behind some of those words. "The private giving you problems?" Now Mickey finally looked at her, and Mirage smiled. "It's the talk of the coast, captain. The crew talks, and word spreads. The entire underworld of the kingdom knows about your… interesting engagement to Minerva. But from the sound of it, your marriage is on the rocks."

Mickey frowned, and climbed out of his chair, spinning his yo-yo around to let it vent his frustrations for him. "Just hit a rough patch, is all. I know we're gunna be all right." It would help if he had any idea how to make it all right. His ideas matched his mood, in that they were at an all time low. He needed another big display to prove his love for her and to make her admit his love for him.

"If I may." Mirage let both of her feet dangle off the desk, trying to see if any of him would be swayed by her beauty. "A good man such as yourself shouldn't force himself under such a burden. We all know you're a man of your word, but not every promise has to be kept. Women of the N.A.V.Y. can be killed in battle just as easily as we are, and she could be gone before you settle on the right ring." That idea appeared to give Mickey pause, as he stopped playing with his toy. An uneasy silence filled the room, and Mirage understood that her seduction tactics would do no good here.

"I'll take my leave." Mirage slid off of the desk and smoothed down her dress. "Do think about my deal, won't you, dear captain? Ransacking Doctor Doppler would give you a leg up in information and riches." Mickey didn't reply, his mind somewhere else. Mirage opened the door, accidentally smacking it into both Ortensia and Oswald's faces. She heard them yelp in pain, and as she stepped out to close the door behind her, she looked down at who she had assaulted. She met Ortensia's face, and smirked. "Ortensia! Oh, it's been too long."

"Not long enough." Ortensia rubbed her sore nose. "Get lost! We ain't hirin' hussies!"

Mirage chuckled, shaking her head as she resumed walking. "It's a shame you stopped disguising yourself as a man… it fit you so well." Hearing Ortensia sputter in startled anger made Mirage chuckle even harder, and it was audible even as she left the ship.

"Oooh!" Ortensia stomped her foot hard on the floor, and then grabbed Oswald by the front of his shirt. "Are ye just gunna let her talk ta me that way?"

Oswald had, for once, not been obsessively been paying attention to Ortensia, and blinked as he was brought forward. "Huh? Oh, sorry… I was just thinking…"

Ortensia let him go and crossed her arms, wondering what could have distracted him to have not jumped to her defense. "About what?"

"About what she said." Oswald scratched the top of his head, trying to connect the dots in his mind. "About ransacking Doctor Doppler. My brothers worked with him a few times… he's a smart guy, but it's his wife that has the money. She's one of the top heads in the N.A.V.Y., and she'd be worth more in a ransom. I just don't see how any pirate could make a profit or get any useful information out of him."

Ortensia's anger cooled as she tried to understand what he was getting at. Her dots were connecting in a different and more selfish angle. "So yer sayin' Mirage is up ta somethin' sneaky?"

Oswald shrugged, the dots falling without being able to be connected. He was stumped, but then he didn't understand the logic of most pirates. "I'm just saying it's strange. What are you thinking?" Something devious was glinting in Ortensia's eyes, and even his extreme love for her couldn't blind him to the fact that something bad was brewing in her brain.

"The less women in Mickey's life, the better." Ortensia smiled slowly, as the dots and lines connecting for her were leading to a land of fantasy. "I'll show him that she can't be trusted either. We're gunna find out why she wants ta go after the doctor. Ye think he'll still see ye?"

Oswald uncomfortably looked away, not sure if he liked the direction the conversation was heading towards. "I'm a wanted criminal now… and he really had a better connection with my brothers… and we'd both get into a lot of trouble if- " Ortensia swooped in and kissed him on the cheek, and his thought process was flipped upside down. "Okay!"

"Atta boy!" Ortensia grabbed him roughly by the arm, and began to drag him away, ready to leave the ship and begin their investigation. "Time ta make an appointment with the good doctor!" Oswald numbly nodded, his pro and con list in shambles. Pro, Ortensia had called him by name and kissed his cheek. He couldn't think of any cons.

* * *

><p>That night, it started to rain. Donald was at his snug little house, using his dinner table as the base of operation. He had managed to borrow some of Darkwing's notes from their last meeting, and was comparing them to ones he had learned on his own. Though he had many connections, no actual answers were being concluded. Instead, he only found more questions. What happened to Thatch and his group? Why did Magica want to make sure no one ever found him or what they left behind? Where was his uncle? These and dozens more were piled on top of his table.<p>

Donald ran a hand through the feathers on his head, feeling a headache growing. He was positive a connection was just waiting for him. If he could just find one answer to one question, maybe the others could fall into place. He reshuffled his papers, figuring he should only focus on a few problems at a time. He closed his eyes, and in a sudden start, a memory came to him – the very first time he had read anything by Doctor Thatch.

**'… And it appears this crystal works as a sort of battery. Though further experimentations may tell me otherwise, right now it appears it can run to the infinite. We've only located one so far, and there are no signs or traces of more crystals in the immediate area. However, one of my men doesn't appear to be working as hard, and I'm starting to suspect he's hiding something. I'd like to believe I'm being strictly paranoid, but after seeing what this crystal can do the mind-'**

Donald bolted out of his seat and knocked his chair over as he dug through his papers. Didn't Launchpad say the 'Fearsome Four' were doing experiments on the mind? Just as he thought, with one connection, made, others fell into place. Captain Mickey Mouse had a ship that went on air, above the water, and underwater. However, was it a stretch to say his ship wasn't the first? If Magica's technology had provided the ship for him, could they have made more? Donald scrambled for a pen, and wrote diligently down on a fresh piece of paper.

What if Magica didn't want anyone continuing the expedition because she, using this special kind of ship, already went there? No one would have noticed this if she had gone underwater. Thatch was researching alternate power sources, and something like that would make Magica even richer. Yet this was something more than a power source. She had found something, something with the mind, and energy, and science, and Donald was piling somethings on top of somethings, throwing papers around to make more room as he wrote – what if, what if, _what if_, Magica had found what Thatch was talking about, _what if_ –

His door knocked, and Donald's train of through derailed and crashed into a ditch. He roared in anger at the lost opportunity, and snapped at his front door. "What is it? Doggone stubborn little…"

"Eets Donna!" The accent was enough to remind Donald that this one of the people he could afford not to scare off. "Eets an emergency! Please, let me in, Dona'd!"

Donald tossed his pen away, trying to calm himself down. "The door's open, you can come on in." It was a mystery as to what she could be talking about. He had given her exact instructions for information about Magica's company in a way that Donna couldn't get in trouble. Della opened the door, carrying a blue umbrella that she closed once she was inside. She looked frightened, which added to Donald's confused alarm. "What's going on, Donna?"

"Eets terrible, Dona'd!" Donna run towards him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Someone has been following me! My house, eet has been broken eento! You told me I would be all right, Dona'd!" She looked ready to cry, shaken up by her days of stalking. She had felt eyes on her for days, and while nothing of value had been stolen from her house, it was enough to add to her terror.

"But how…" Donald couldn't figure out how Magica could have known what Donna was doing, or why anyone else would be after her. He swallowed hard, his own terror building. Scrooge gone, Donna stalked, would others he knew soon be targeted? If something happened to Daisy, he would never be able to live with himself. He would have to push his fiancé even further away, cancel more dates, so that she could stay further out of danger. He could explain his sudden coldness to her after everything was solved, but for now, he needed Daisy safe. She was the most important woman in his life, and hopefully the N.A.V.Y. would keep her safe.

Donald looked down at Donna with determination. "You're going to be all right, Donna, I promise. I'll find out who's doing this, and put a stop to it. Until this mess is over, you can stay here." He dragged Donna into this, the noble thing to do would be to protect her until the end.

Donna wrapped her arms around Donald, sniffling into his chest. "Oh, Dona'd… always so nice to me." Though she was still afraid for her life, she knew that Donald was dependable. Ever since she had started seeing him again, she had begun regretting him go all those years ago. Perhaps there was still a chance to make things right.

Donald pet Donna's back, trying to comfort her. "There, there." He assured her that she would be protect, that he knew friends she could call if he wasn't around, and that this would all soon be over.

The reason Donald had known he was raining despite being so invested in his work was because he had pulled back his curtains and seen the rain. The lack of curtains also helped people outside his house to look in. Daisy was heading to his house, already feeling disappointed. The info about Donna she had gotten from the pirates had turned out to be useless, as the closest thing to anything wrong Donna had ever done was litter. There was no dirt. Daisy had snuck away from the N.A.V.Y. base, deciding to ask Donald once and for all why he kept pushing their dates aside.

She didn't even get to his door. Once she saw them in the window, embracing each other, she dropped her pink umbrella and let it roll on the sidewalk. The rain beat down on her and mixed with her tears. Her throat moved, but she couldn't scream or cry. The ugliness of what she saw collided with the ugly feelings in her heart. She had cheated on him, she had treated him horribly, and she had hired people to stalk Donna. She was the one who created the embrace that was destroying her.

Everything was her fault, and there was nothing she could to do fix it. Donald deserved better than this ugly woman who had trampled on him and his life. Sucking in a breath, she ran down the sidewalk, leaving her umbrella behind. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care.

**End of Chapter Nineteen.**


	20. Killer Versus Kindness

So you know that lies if the goddess of editing, right? Well you do now.

* * *

><p>Ducksworth was one of Scrooge McDuck's most loyal servants, and proved this by continuing to work despite Scrooge's absence. He continued to cook, clean, and arrange Scrooge's finances. Many of the other servants had left, not seeing a point to continue their job if their employer couldn't be found. By the time May arrived, the mansion had only two occupants. It was early afternoon when Ducksworth finished dusting Scrooge's bedroom, and when he came down the stairs to start on dinner, he was surprised to see the second occupant waiting for him in the living room.<p>

"Mrs. Beakly." Ducksworth nodded politely to her in greeting, and though his servile attitude didn't show it, he was glad for her company. "What brings you here?"

Mrs. Beakly was an aging old duck, plump around the edges but containing an even bigger heart inside. She smiled kindly as the butler approached, and moved to make sure her gray hair was being kept in place. "I came to see you, of course, Mr. Ducksworth. Just because Webbigail is in boarding school now doesn't mean I have no reason to be here." At one point she had worked for Scrooge by taking care of his triplet nephews, in addition to her own granddaughter. She hadn't been needed since the children went off to boarding school, but she was still a welcome guest. "You can't run this entire mansion by yourself."

"Then what have I been doing this past month?" He walked past her to head for the kitchen, and she followed. Beakly chuckled lightly, knowing that Ducksworth's snark was just his way of welcoming her. It had been a long time since the servants had seen one another, and it saddened the old woman to think that it took the disappearance of Scrooge to bring them back together. Old as she was, she still had a heart, and that included all the troublesome emotions that came with it.

"With Webby out of the house, I'm bored out of my socks." Beakly added on, the two of them slowly passing by the front door of the mansion. "I thought I could stop by and help out around here."

Ducksworth stopped, and glanced behind him. Though he was happy to have her around, he needed to be absolutely sure about her reasons. "…I'm not sure I'm in any position to be able to pay you, Mrs. Beakly."

"And I wouldn't take it anyway." Beakly waved a hand to brush the matter aside. "I didn't come here for the money. I came here for the company. And I refuse to take no for an answer. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still under Mr. Scrooge's employment, and it's my duty to help out his best people in their time of need." She would make up for all the lost time that had been wasted, and there were still plenty of years ahead for both of them to make sure they lived it by being with who they wanted to be with.

Ducksworth tugged at his cuff links, unable to come up with any smart remark to back up her declaration. The one advantage of the empty mansion and the lack of its owner was that there were fewer things to hide. Scrooge had indulged Ducksworth in many of his secrets, but the servant had rarely done the same to his employer. "It… would be obliged." He blamed his hot cheeks on the increasing temperature that came with the warm seasons. "Your room is still here. I've been keeping it in order."

"I knew you would." The two exchanged fond smiles, and Ducksworth extended an arm for her to take. She demurely hid her eyes behind her small glasses, and Ducksowrth felt happier than he had in too many months. The romantic reigniting of youth was then soundly interrupted by a shotgun blast to the front door, almost blowing it off its hinges. Beakly shrieked and hid behind Ducksworth, whose smile was quickly replaced by his usual deadpan expression. He had a fairly good guess who damaged the property, and mentally prepared himself for the ordeal they were about to endure.

The damaged door was kicked open, and a dingy and distressed Goldie O' Gilt marched in, waving her smoking shotgun all around. "Where is that heart breaking, deal breaking, knees I will soon be breaking louse of a fiancé?" Her shouts echoed off the walls, making her demonic appearance even more frightening. The two servants could see outside that she had crashed her carriage into the front gate in her hurry, and hadn't bothered to pick up all the luggage that had fallen out of it.

Ducksworth mentally noted to himself to personally clean up the entire mess. "It's good to see you, Miss O' Gilt." He calmly replied, standing in place to assure Beakly that everything would be taken care of. He had seen Scrooge talk enough with Gilt to know that while her temper was violent, she'd never hurt innocent bystanders. Now it just depended on if Goldie thought he and Beakly were innocent. "Regarding the whereabouts of , I'm afraid he still hasn't been found. Rest assured that had he been found, you would have been the first informed. Would it be too much to ask for you to relinquish your gun so my workload may stop increasing?"

"Don't gimmie that hogwash!" Goldie aimed her shotgun towards Ducksworth's face close enough for him to smell the gunpowder, yet he still didn't flinch. "He's not 'gone', that wretch is in hiding! He said he'd be back in the spotlight soon, but I'm the one who's gunna direct his show! Now you tell me where he is!" She had done everything in her power to find out where Scrooge had called from, but those who did know had been paid to keep their mouth shut. After threatening the phone company and leaving a nasty dent in their parking lot, she was able to find out that Scrooge had called her from an undisclosed location. It was either blocked off by the caller, or in a place that calls couldn't normally be given or made from. The only option now was to talk to the people that he knew best.

Ducksworth gently pushed the barrel of the gun aside, doing his best to ignore Beakly's tight hands clinging to his back. "As far as Mrs. Beakly and I know, he has said nothing of the kind. No one in the kingdom has seen him since the night he disappeared. Would it be too much to inquire as to what you could possibly be talking about?"

Goldie growled, but lowered her gun so she could dig into her purse. She fished out a small engagement ring, waving it back and forth so that both servants could see it clearly. "That no good varmint called me, and told me the engagement was off! He even sent the ring back! He played me for a fool!" It was difficult to tell which part she was more upset over – being tricked, or losing Scrooge. The servants had their own guesses as to which it was but had a feeling she wasn't inclined to hear most of their opinions.

Beakly dared to stick her head out from behind Ducksworth's shoulder. "Oh, but that simply can't be, Miss Gilt! Mr. Scrooge was absolutely crazy about you…" She ducked behind him again when Gilt's eyes angry eyes aimed at her. "… So Mr. Ducksworth has told me."

"Indeed, and it is the truth." Ducksworth pulled out a white cleaning cloth from his pocket, and dabbed at his face where the gun had touched. "Mr. McDuck's office, before his disappearance, held one of his most precious items… a figurine of you." Ducksworth had taken it upon himself to repair the figurine, although it wasn't finished yet. Though his voice never wavered, he was fully confident in everything he said, feeling sympathy for the jilted woman before him and determined to protect the woman behind him. "He was looking forward to announcing your engagement."

"Then you tell me what this is all about?" Goldie held the ring up even higher, ready to smash it to the ground but lacking the conviction to really do it. "Until I get my answers, I'm staying here! I will hunt down that miserable, low down, dirty…" She stormed down the hallway, shouting every insult she could think of and inventing a few new ones along the way. Her creativity was something to be admired.

Once Beakly was positive Goldie was out of hearing range, she backed away from Ducksworth and held her hands close together in worry. "Oh, dear… you don't really think Mr. Scrooge broke off their engagement, do you?" She didn't want to believe it, but physical evidence was difficult to beat. She had known Scrooge for a long time and he wasn't the type of man to break promises. She had seen with her own eyes how much love Scrooge had for his own family, and so to her the thought that someone who would soon be a part of Scrooge's family being hurt by him was unfathomable.

Ducksworth watched the hallway that Goldie had walked down into, contemplating matters out loud. "While I can't see him canceling it out right… he did appear to have some hesitation before everything was complete." He recalled how Scrooge had blushed after having that meeting with Amelia, Darkwing, and Magica months ago. He had the same hope and beliefs as Beakly did, but he would feel a lot better if he could understand just what was going in Scrooge's head before he disappeared. "It appears that while Miss Gilt is staying here, we may have additional duties to perform. If we don't want this house blasted to bits, we need to find proof that she was the woman he decided on." It meant more work, but if it fixed everything in the long run, he'd get to it right away.

"But Mr. Scrooge is so secretive!" Beakly wrung her hands, nervous about taking part in any investigation that would invade her employer's privacy. "I know he kept things even from you. It won't be easy to find proof that he loved Miss Gilt most of all." She still believed in this fact, but knew that her own faith versus the evidence of the ring and what Goldie had supposedly seen was a weak trial.

"If I had wanted an easy job, I wouldn't have started working for him." Ducksworth again extended his arm for her, and this time she was able to take it. At least he wouldn't be doing this search alone, and as a man who worked for Scrooge, he didn't know how to give up when his mind was set on something. "We'll start searching after Miss Gilt has her dinner. All of that rage must have built up an appetite."

* * *

><p>That same afternoon, Mortimer's party was well underway. Everything had been paid for by Magica's group, so it was more outlandish and splendid than ever. Mortimer was more than happy to tell his high society friends that he had bought everything there, and no one saw any reason to disbelieve him. To make up for his bad track record, the party was held at the same exact location where he had been first been attacked by Captain Mickey. He thought it was an excellent way to insult the pirate, and believed his party to be absolutely perfect. The fact that his fiancé was in a miserable mood made no difference to him.<p>

Minnie stood by the buffet table, continuously stirring a bowl of punch and accidentally scaring off anyone thirsty thanks to her sour face. She had been upset ever since that one weekend when Mickey had proved he only wanted her for her looks and nothing more. He was little more than a pervert, and the more she thought about him the worse she felt. She stirred even harder, and tried to concentrate on other things. There were more important matters to be concerned over than pirates who only wanted what was under the uniform. One such important matter was the newest criminals being announced on the newspapers.

Magica had announced days ago that both her niece Morgana McCawber and Drake Mallard had broken into her building, stolen valuable technology, and assaulted Magica herself. They were now wanted criminals who couldn't be found, with a high bounty on their heads. Drake's adopted daughter Gosalyn had gone missing as well, and if she were to be found, she would be sent back to the orphanage. Since Minnie had known Donald's vigilante identity, she had also been told about Darkwing's civilian status. She knew what the papers reported had to be false, but if she met up with Drake and was found out, she would have no choice but to arrest him. She needed to meet up with Launchpad and Donald to try and find out what happened, but between Mortimer's insipid parties and her duties to the N.A.V.Y., finding free time wasn't easy.

Yet even with all of these other important matters building up, her mind still somehow found its way back to Mickey and that photograph of her. How did he even get his hands on that? How long did he have it? Her stomach twisted as her imagination reeled. Maybe he had other photographs of her, and they could be dirtier! What did he do with them when he was alone? What did he think of her?

She felt filthy as her mind escalated the troubles, convinced he was a dark soul who wanted to have his terrible way with her and then be done with her. There was also that familiar nagging feeling in the back of her head that suggested _maybe_ she was blowing things out of proportion, and _maybe_ he really could have explained things had she let him, and _maybe_ she was focusing on this issue so much because she had gotten close to admitting something she didn't want to and needed a distraction. As always, she ignored the nagging feelings, because they were wrong. They had to be wrong. They must be wrong.

After all, normal people didn't think that way about each other, although the second that thought entered her mind, she knew it was ridiculous. Of course people thought that way about each other, or else the world would be seriously under populated. Hadn't she, on the Hawkins, accidentally dabbled in some unwholesome thoughts of her own, such as when she'd made him take an unorthodox bath? But, no, that was an accident! That didn't count!

Yet, the nagging feelings demanded to say, hadn't Minnie allowed herself to admit he was handsome? But admitting he was handsome didn't mean she thought about him in any other way! Her mind was playing a vicious game of ping pong, going back and forth between the things she was making herself admit and her fervent denial in all things Mickey. All right, so, maybe, once or twice, she had allowed her mind to wander the possibilities of them doing a smidge more than kissing, but those had been flights of fancy! She was an innocent maiden and he was a perverted deviant! She never considered taking those passionate ideas seriously!

It wasn't as if she enjoyed every time he roughly grabbed her and forced his mouth on hers! It wasn't as if his hands moved so perfectly on her it was like he had already memorized her curves! It wasn't as if she sometimes wondered what would have happened if Mickey hadn't been interrupted when he was on top of her while they were on Mortimer's ship! It was different, it was absolutely definitely different! There weren't any alarm bells ringing off in her head telling her that her body had a unique craving toward him!

Then she realized the 'alarm bells' were actually the sound of the stirring spoon being knocked against the glass of the punch bowl, as in her back and forth of desires, she had managed to stir and spill out all of the punch. She quietly let the spoon go, tip-toeing away before her mortification could be found. It was difficult to move around in this stuffy dress, but at least this time she wasn't wearing her N.A.V.Y. uniform under it. Mortimer had given her strict instructions to not 'pull that stunt again', and she had reluctantly complied. They were almost at the halfway point to their wedding, and she knew she should try to get along better with him.

In that frame of mind, she had also invited guests to the party. Aside from inviting her friends, she had also sent an invitation to Amelia. She still thought that Amelia saw her as being unworthy to wear the uniform, and wanted to patch things up. She hadn't heard back from her former captain, but kept her hopes high. At the moment, she found relief by spotting Clarabelle and Daisy entering the party from the garden gates. This had been another outdoor party, so Minnie had to step through the grass in order to reach them.

"I'm so glad you could make it!" Minnie's spirits lifted as she approached them, and then sunk back down when she saw their expressions. Clarabelle's muscles were clenched and she was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, arms crossed and madder than Minnie had ever seen her. Daisy was on the verge of tears, and judging by her red puffy eyes, it wouldn't be for the first time that day. They were both dressed elegantly, but even the prettiest of dresses couldn't hide how they were feeling. "…Did you two fight again?" She asked weakly, knowing that this was a pathetic guess. Daisy and Clarabelle fought plenty, but they never ended with these results.

"Donald's going to leave me!" Daisy burst out, and collapsed onto Minnie's chest in hard sobs. Her entire body was shaking, and she clung to Minnie hard enough to dig her nails in. Ever since she had seen Donald and Donna embrace, her world had ended. She felt that while Donald was justified in what he had done, she was unwilling to let him go. This stubborn conflict only made her hate herself more, and she couldn't even pretend to enjoy Minnie's party or the company of her friends. Why should anyone get to be happy if she couldn't be?

Minnie dug her high heels into the ground to keep her balance, trying to hold her friend. "What? Daisy, you can't be serious! Donald would never leave you." She expected Clarabelle to back her up and reassure Daisy that everything would be okay, and half expected Millie to appear and make the group whole again.

"And why wouldn't he?" Clarabelle snorted, rubbing her arms up and down and refusing to look at either of her friends. "She dates anyone who bats an eyelash at her, and they were only arranged for the money. He'd probably be better off without her." She too had changed since Minnie last saw her. Right now she was exhuming animosity, showing disdain for everyone and everything. She wanted to destroy everything and yell at everyone, and it didn't matter where she was or who suffered. Her world was sore, and she felt a need to lash out at everyone. Just like Daisy, she thought why should anyone get to be happy if she couldn't be?

Daisy wailed even louder, and Minnie stroked Daisy's hair while lecturing Clarabelle. "How can you say that? You're her friend, you're supposed to help her out!" What had happened since she last saw her friends to drive them apart and into such upsetting places? While the two friends fought plenty, this was something harsher and would have worse consequences. It also made Minnie realize that it had been far too long since the friends had actually talked to one another. Their lives had been flipped around thanks to pirates, kidnappings, and the coronation. Not once had they been able to settle down and talk normally.

Daisy hiccupped, and began pulling out a handkerchief to blow into. "I know, right? I don't even get why Clarabelle's been so rude lately… you'd think she'd be happy, after what we learned during Goofy's coronation!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clarabelle leaned down towards her shorter friends, grinding her teeth so roughly Minnie could have sworn she saw sparks fly.

"Don't you remember what Barnaby said?" Daisy sniffled in between sentences, still using Minnie to lean on for support. "He was the one who set that fire, not you! It really wasn't your fault that Horace got injured, so everything's okay now! You don't have to feel guilty anymore!"

Minnie was inclined to agree but Clarabelle would have none if, grabbing Daisy by the arm and yanking her away from Minnie, leaning down enough so they were eye level. "You think all of those years of guilt and pain can just go away like nothing ever happened? I still led him there! Everyone still blamed me! I can't just ignore everything that happened! What he said made it even worse! I know I should get over it, but I can't! I just can't!"

Minnie again tried to interject, but Daisy snapped back while trying to get her arm out of Clarabelle's tight hold. "I don't see why! That all happened a long time ago! What's happening with me and Donald is happening right now! Can't I be allowed to be cry? You think just because I had fun on the side means I don't love him?"

"I think that's exactly what it means! If you really loved him, you would have been faithful to him! Cry me a river, because no one is going to care, especially not him!"

Minnie held her head as the duck and the cow screamed at each other, and she wished Millicent was there to help meditate the situation. She kept trying to add in her voice but also kept being pushed out. She continued watching them, aggravated that on top of her confusing thoughts about Mickey and Drake's hunt from the law, she now had her closest friends unable to deal with their own difficult issues. There was only so much Minnie could handle at a time. What she was about to do wasn't diplomatic but it was all she could think of. She reached out, and grabbed Clarabelle by her ear, then Daisy by her hair, and then smacked their foreheads into each other.

The girls yelped in pain, and when Minnie let them go, they sat on the grass and rubbed their foreheads. They looked at Minnie for an explanation behind her violence, and she put her hands on her hips, ready to take action. Even though Millie was gone, they still needed a mediator, and Minnie would just have to fit into the role with her own style. "What's happened to us? We're best friends! We're supposed to be able to tell each other everything, and try to help each other out. Just because we're dealing with our own problems doesn't mean any other problems don't matter. Who can we turn to if we can't turn to each other?" She then set her sights on Clarabelle.

"Of course you can't get over trauma like that so easily, but what Barnaby said should be a stepping stone towards getting better. You're angry at him because you can't make him feel what you went through all these years. No one is saying you have to get over it today, but you need to try to move on. The only one who blames you for the fire anymore is you. Your friends and family still love you, and they'll help you get better. Daisy just wants you to be happy again."

Speaking of the duck, she was the next target. "I don't have the full story, but I can still see Donald's ring on your finger, so your engagement isn't done yet. Something's made you realize how important Donald's been to you, so it's time to act like it. If you really love Donald, you need to fight for the life that you want. You keep leaving those other men, but you always go back to him. You need to decide what kind of life you want, with either freedom to be with others or to stay with only him. Clarabelle doesn't want to see you devastated if this engagement really won't make you happy."

Minnie exhaled deeply, feeling exhausted after giving the long speeches. "Now, both of you apologize, and hug. Then I can tell you my problems and you can make me feel better. Understood?" If this didn't work, nothing would.

Daisy and Clarabelle looked at Minnie, and then at each other. Daisy dabbed her handkerchief to her eyes, still continuing to snivel as she apologized. "… I'm sorry, Clarabelle. I just can't stand to see you keep blaming yourself." Through all the fights she picked on and was picked by Clarabelle, Daisy loved Clarabelle as dear as any sister. She had never gone through such tragedy as Clarabelle had, and couldn't begin to understand what it had done to Clarabelle's life. It wasn't her place to demand what Clarabelle should be feeling.

"I'm sorry too." Clarabelle scratched the back of her head, now embarrassed to have made Daisy feel so bad about herself. "I shouldn't have said any of that stuff. If I was in your shoes, I would have slapped me silly." Clarabelle didn't approve of Daisy's life with other men, but it was Daisy's life and she was free to live it however she wanted. Clarabelle just didn't see how someone could live that way without getting hurt. Daisy had her own reasons for the actions she took, and Clarabelle wanted to understand them better.

The two girls moved to hug, but only after they took Minnie's hands and made her join in on it. There was a flurry of sighs and giggles, all of them glad to be in the company of those they trusted most. They felt like real friends again, and while there was guilt for attacking each other, it was short lived. What was important now was to catch up on each other, and shake off the damage their bonds had taken. They were still burdened by their own problems and emotions, but maybe now they could start healing. When the embrace was finished, Daisy was still rubbing at her tears. "So, Minnie… what's your problem?"

Minnie pouted, sticking her nose high up in the air as if the problem himself was there and asking the same question. "Captain Mickey."

"Isn't it always him?" Clarabelle smirked, and the girls giggled again. Though Minnie didn't tell them everything she was going through, she gave them enough for them to give their own advice. The trio stayed in place, exchanging stories and teasing looks. Minnie thought that if her friends could keep coming to Mortimer's parties, perhaps they'd be more bearable as a whole. Even if Amelia didn't show up, it was still good to be among her loved ones. Gossip and giggles flew around them, until Minnie felt a tap on her shoulder.

One of Mortimer's butlers, a short and pudgy human, bowed to Minnie before speaking. "Mr. Rodawn wants to speak to you in private, Miss Mouse. He'll be waiting for you in front of the hedge maze." He gestured to the direction of the mazes, oddly not making eye contact with Minnie as he moved about.

Minnie was annoyed, but didn't take it out on the servant. "Thank you, Lawrence. Oh, and if you get a minute, could you refill the punch bowl? Someone… spilled it." She laughed nervously before waving to her companions. "I'll be right back. He probably wants me to change my make-up." Or something else just as ridiculous, as Mortimer's demands typically were. Clarabelle and Daisy nodded, more than willing to wait for her return, and Lawrence attended to his duties. No one noticed that the butler had extra money poking out of his jacket sleeve, nor had anyone seen who put it in there earlier, because no one ever paid attention to what the servants were doing.

The hedge maze was far away from the mansion, and Minnie couldn't hear the party going on by the time she arrived. She had never liked his hedge maze because of the distance away from the mansion. If someone were to get lost in there and cry for help, there was a good chance they couldn't be heard. But Mortimer would want her with a smile, so she tossed aside her grievances against the maze, standing in front of the entrance. It was quiet, and she saw no sign of her fiancé. Come to think of it, why did he even want to meet up here? He had no problem lecturing her in front of others.

It wasn't polite to think of Mortimer that way, but he earned these rude mental remarks. In an odd way, she found it easier to find flaws in Mortimer than she did with Mickey, and with Mortimer it didn't come with head games or flustered acts of physical embarrassment. But it didn't matter if she didn't like him, because some marriages weren't about liking their partners. As long as she found him tolerable, she could be his wife. It would be a level below content, but above hatred. She just needed to find that middle spot for living with him. His being late to this private meeting he asked for wasn't helping matters any.

Maybe he hadn't gotten there yet, or he had gotten lost in another conversation with his snooty investors. It would be just like him to make her wait. She walked back and forth in front of the maze, bored with waiting. Now that her mind wasn't distracted by her friends, it was free to return to Mickey. She groaned, amazed that he could still bother her even when he wasn't there. Why couldn't he understand that she'd rather die than marry him?

She heard footsteps behind her, and smoothed down her dress, ready to speak to Mortimer like a proper lady. Whatever he was complaining about this time, she'd nod, smile, and agree to it. Then she could fix whatever he demanded of her and return to her friends. A hand lay on her shoulder, and feeling it was the proper thing to do, she moved to put her hand on top of it. But the hand on her shoulder wasn't Mortimer's, it wasn't even a man's, it was –

Sharpness went right through her body. She could see it sticking out of her stomach, ripping through her dress and shining in the fading sunlight. Her mouth was open, but nothing could come out. What had – What was - Her eyes were transfixed on the blade that shimmered in red. Her mind blurred and she couldn't concentrate on any one thing. There was pain – and ripping – and red – where was the air – where was the gravity – she was being shoved, falling, the grass was warm, and it was being pulled out –

She could hear a woman's voice but at the same time couldn't focus on it. "I can't stand women like you… people who think every act they do, every sin, is a sign of justice as long as it's from the N.A.V.Y." A high heel kicked her hard to her ribs, and Minnie couldn't move away from it. She held her stomach and felt something pouring out. No, no, get back in, she tried to push it back in, but it was seeping and red and hurt and Mommy and Daddy someone help -

Another kick in the same place, and Minnie couldn't move, and she could move but nothing was moving right, and pain - "It's been too long since I've had an assignment like this… it's so beautiful to watch the hope fade out of their eyes." A third kick, this time hard enough to roll Minnie onto her back. The attacker was a cat, and tall, and something was golden on her arm, but then once more Minnie was flushed with the feelings of agony and fear and seeing red and seeing tears and seeing someone laughing over her frail body. "But I could be kind enough to give you one last mercy… your dear captain will be joining you soon."

Dear Captain? Captain Mickey Mouse, she was going to kill Mickey, no, no, not Mickey, have to warn him, have to save him – something was spilling out of her mouth and she couldn't hear and she couldn't breathe and she couldn't see – Mickey, Mickey, no, no, not Mickey, not ever Mickey, someone tell him, someone save him, Mickey, no, please don't, please, not Mickey – someone, someone, please, Mickey, Mickey – she was sorry and she was hurt and the world was blackening and then – _Mickey!_

* * *

><p>Amelia hadn't even gotten near the party and she was already regretting coming. The invitation was a kind gesture, and she was wondering how her troops were doing. However, the threat of Mirage remained heavy on her mind, and so she knew she would not be good company. Amelia had hesitated to go near the party, and decided she would first take a long walk around the gardens. She rubbed her belly every so often, wishing she owned better dresses to hide her growing stomach. Delbert was staying behind to look over the house and try to look into Mirage's activities.<p>

His idea was that if they found Mirage before she could ruin their names, then she could be stopped before she tried anything. He was putting all of his work and research aside to help her out, promising he would not rest until the threat had been dissolved. Amelia appreciated everything he was doing, but also insisted he didn't need to stop everything for her. Her pride demanded that she take just as much of the burden as him, if not more so, since Mirage was her blood. To push the point, she found his appointment book, and demanded he keep his word to meet up with a member of the Rabbit family the following week. Delbert protested but Amelia insisted.

She came upon a hedge maze, and pondered the intelligence of Minerva's fiancé. It seemed like a useless thing to have. She knew Mortimer Rodawn from word of mouth, and those who weren't financially rubbing elbows with him didn't have pleasant things to say about him. It wasn't her place to judge the choice that Minerva's parents made, but she couldn't help but worry about the future of the private. She cared for each troop as if they were her own child, and believed they all had potential. If Minerva could just follow the rules, she wouldn't get in so much trouble.

Regardless of what she had heard about Mortimer, she knew it was foolish to judge him without meeting him personally. She would be professional, and formally congratulate Minerva on the engagement. She would tell Mortimer and then Minerva's parents that despite Minerva's constant screw ups, she would be missed once she left at the end of the year. She also believed that to be a foolish decision, but it was often a consequence of marriage. Amelia had seen many young women leave the N.A.V.Y. as soon as they were married. She had always respected their decisions, and hoped their lives would be happy ones.

Amelia heard strange noises as she got close to the front of the maze. Something physical was going on, and there were moans of torture coming from a voice she'd never thought she'd hear such sounds from. It was Minerva, but why was she in such distress? She turned the corner, and witnessed a nightmare. Minerva lay crumpled on the grass, as shattered as the most delicate porcelain doll, the stomach of her dress covered in red and pooling around her body. Standing over her was the attacker, holding a bloodied sword and become splattered with her victim's life as they kicked her again. Though it had been years since Amelia had seen Mirage, she could see the silent child reflected in this murderous marauder, and knew that this was the woman who had sworn revenge.

Amelia had no weapons on her but felt no need for any. She jumped at Mirage, who dropped her sword when she was tackled down to the ground. Mirage knew who Amelia was with the same speedy mental recognition, and there was no mercy between the clawed scratches they gave each other, hissing and screeching at each other in an unheard fury. Mirage had dared to attack Minerva, her dear troop, her most innocent member, this would not go unpunished! They wrestled on the grass, neither of them giving an inch and ready to end the life of the other.

Mirage was the first to come to see her senses, grinning widely as she held Amelia's fists in her hands. "As much as I'm enjoying our family reunion… you've got bigger things to worry about." She shook her head in the direction of the target victim.

Amelia stopped resisting as she automatically understood what Mirage was referring to. She looked back, seeing Minerva gasping for what little air she could still hold. Mirage kicked Amelia off, and Amelia instinctively covered her stomach with her hands, praying that the fight hadn't done any damage to the baby. She had been so focused on blind revenge she hadn't thought of the precious life instilled in her. She couldn't afford to charge so recklessly into battle again, no matter what she was feeling or what was going on. From now on, she was fighting for two.

Mirage scrambled to grab the bloody blade, and dashed off into the maze. Amelia glared at the maze, but knew that she couldn't chance a chase right now. She crawled on her knees to the wounded private, taking Minerva into her arms. "Minerva! Private Minerva! Can you hear me?" If Minnie could stay awake, there could be a chance to save her.

Minerva continued to gasp, each one shallower than the last. Her eyes were fading, and the blood continued to flow down her dress. Amelia held the dying body close to her chest, and stood to her feet, preparing to ambush the party while still trying to keep Minerva conscious. She ran towards the mansion, refusing to believe any effort was too late. "Stay with me, Private! _Stay with me_!"

The captain's voice could be heard, and the private tried to speak. Mickey. Mickey. Mickey. Please…

**End Of Chapter Twenty.**


	21. Survival Versus Living

Muchas gracias mi amiga Lies. Also, some of you may recognize a Storybit here, hope it's been improved upon. Also, further updates may be slow. I've recently gotten my driver's license, so I have to start looking for a job, so writing this will be lower priority. I'm not stopping writing, I'm just saying there will be slower updates in the future.

* * *

><p>Grandmother's kitchen always smelled of orange tarts. The granddaughter always loved the smell, and always associated the scent with her darling grandmother. Every time the child visited her grandparents, she would run straight for the kitchen, where a fresh batch of goodies awaited her. As she would sit to eat the tarts, Grandmother would pull up a chair, and tell the little one all kinds of exciting stories about the N.A.V.Y. and fighting pirates. The girl would listen, rapt, and try to imagine herself in the role of such an amazing woman.<p>

"Grandma?" The little girl asked after the latest tale had been told. "Can I be in the N.A.V.Y. when I'm all grown up?"

The older woman smiled, and picked up a napkin to brush the crumbs off the child's cheeks. "Of course you can, dear. It's a proud Mouse family tradition. My mother was in it, and so was her mother, and so was hers."

Despite her youth, the child was able to pick up on a missing factor in the tradition. She frowned, thoughtfully chewing on a tart before speaking. "… Why isn't mommy in the N.A.V.Y.?"

Grandmother's smile still remained, but now it seemed to contain sad lines. "Mommy is very sick. She can't be a part of the N.A.V.Y… it'd be too much for her to handle. That's why, when you join, you have to make up for everything she's missed out on. Can you do that, Minerva?"

Minerva beamed, suddenly eager to take up her mother's chance. "A-huh! I'm gunna be the best lady in the N.A.V.Y. ever, for mommy! And for you too, grandma!" All of these declarations were making her hungry, so she reached for the plate of tarts resting on the wooden table. "And for daddy too, and…" Something was blocking her, and making her unable to reach the tarts. Something long, and sharp, and it was sticking out of her stomach –

And then she _remembered_. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she wasn't with grandma, and the kitchen shook and fell apart, twisting into a deformed hedge maze, a labyrinth of vines and pain that wouldn't let her escape, and she heard her dress ripping – and then grandma wasn't grandma but now a demon, standing tall over her, kicking her, kicking her, kicking her - "But I could be kind enough to give you one last mercy… your dear captain will be joining you soon." – and she saw Mickey, and he too had the sharpness sticking out of him, and she cried and screamed and please no stop it stop it stop it STOP IT!

* * *

><p>Clarabelle didn't know why she was in the hospital again in such a short time. To be fair, that could be answered easily – Minnie was in the emergency ward and being treated for her wounds, AND that's why she, Daisy, and Amelia were there waiting for the results. The real 'why' that Clarabelle was pondering was why these things kept happening to those she loved most. At least Horace had gotten injured in the line of duty, but someone attacking Minnie made no sense. It had been hours since Amelia ran into Mortimer's party, holding Minnie to her chest, and demanding that someone call the hospital. Clarabelle and Daisy had stuck to Amelia's side, and now like Amelia they were being forced to wait for news.<p>

Minnie's parents had been called, and Mortimer had stayed behind to try and calm his party guests. Daisy had exhausted all of her tears, and now stood next to Clarabelle, holding her hand. No one had said a word since they had started waiting in the hallway. Amelia was professionally stoic, standing up straight and staring straight ahead, not bothering to try and clean Minnie's blood off her chest. Clarabelle normally would have taken fun in pointing out that she'd never seen Amelia wear a dress, but now she couldn't bring herself to move her mouth. Why would someone want to hurt Minnie?

There was only so much silence Daisy could take before she needed to have answers. "What if this was because of Mickey?" She tugged down on Clarabelle's hand, jarring the cow out of her depression. "Maybe someone in his crew did it, or one of his enemies! We should look into that!"

Clarabelle looked at Daisy as if she had lost her last marbles. Though these were valuable questions, there was still the matter of Amelia and all the secrets they had been keeping from her. "Ix-nay on the Ickey-May…"

"No, she needs to know!" Daisy pulled her hand away from Clarabelle, sick of crying and whining when it wasn't doing her any good. "Our friend was almost killed, we need all the help we can get, and that means telling the captain everything!" Without waiting for Clarabelle's approval, she stepped in front of Amelia, and saluted. "I'm sorry, Captain."

Amelia slowly looked down at Daisy, not changing her expression or stance. "I'm listening."

Daisy took a deep breath, knowing she wouldn't do justice to the odd story that had become Minnie's life. She explained to Amelia everything that Minnie had told her, from proposals to kisses, from rescues to dates, and while Clarabelle still didn't think this was a good idea, she often filled in gaps that Daisy had missed. It never occurred to either story teller what consequences would come of relaying this, and could only hope that it would help Minnie. When Daisy finished, she exhaled, thirsty after all of that elaborate detailing. Amelia hadn't moved, and Daisy wondered if the captain had even blinked during the stories. Daisy stepped back, and she and Clarabelle waited for a response.

Amelia was quiet for a longer time than Daisy and Clarabelle were comfortable with. It was hard to tell with their emotionless captain, but she was having trouble telling them her secrets in turn. However, Mirage was giving Amelia little choice since she had made it clear she would take the lives of her troops at any given chance. Her fingers clenched but stayed behind her back. "… It is possible that Captain Mickey had little to do with the attempt on Minerva's life."

Daisy stared, and Clarabelle grimaced at the implications. They had just spilled the beans on Minnie's secret for no good reason. Clarabelle cleared her throat, hoping she and Daisy hadn't just cost Minnie her job. "Um… what do you mean by that?"

Amelia hadn't given the exact details on how Minnie was attacked yet, so there was no room for doubt when the captain spoke. "I saw who attacked her. But what I am about to tell you must remain within the three of us. Can you give me your word that you will not speak of this unless ordered otherwise?" The girls silently nodded, and Amelia trusted them at that. "Her name is Mirage, and she is seeking to cause me pain by attacking everyone I care for. That will no doubt include the two of you. She will be found, and she will be brought to justice."

Amelia pushed herself off of the wall she was leaning on, stepping back into her duty. "I'm still on maternity leave, but I will be giving you both orders on how to help find Mirage and who may be helping her. Be on your guard, and never leave yourself open and alone for too long. Private Clarabelle, I want you to interrogate everyone who was at the party and see if they anyone or anything suspicious prior to Minerva's attack. Private Daisy, you will be looking into Mr. Rodawn's finances, friends, everything about him. Mirage knew about the party and that Minerva would be there, despite this being an invitation only social."

She paused, spotting people down the furthest end of the hallway. "… Minerva's parents are here. You aren't to speak of them about our investigation. And not about Mickey." She put her eyes back to her privates. "… And concerning that matter, when Minerva awakens -" for Minerva would get out of this, she would not die, she had the strength to pull out of this and Amelia would not believe anything else, "It will be made clear to her that from now on, the arrest of Captain Mickey will be handled by her superiors. She is to no longer have any contact with him, in any situation."

Daisy knew that was the right thing to do, and yet it sounded more like a punishment than an order. "Captain, you have to know that Minnie never encouraged him! She always rejected him!" The last thing Daisy had wanted to do with her explanation was put Minnie in trouble. That was probably why Clarabelle had tried to stop her, but it was too late now, and Clarabelle stayed silent, knowing that Amelia's orders were final.

Amelia turned in the direction of the parents, who had begun to race towards the familiar faces. "I will not tolerate fraternizing with the enemy. Whatever relationship may or may not exist between them ends now. You have your orders."

Daisy and Clarabelle did not have the courage in them to protest further, and saluted to their captain. When Minnie's parents reached them, they sobbed and asked questions without giving any pause for answers. Minnie's mother constantly had to be held by the father, lest her weak body give out and collapse on the floor. Amelia did her best to console the couple and assure them that Minnie would pull through, and for the longest time, they all watched the blinking of the emergency room lights. Of course Minnie would pull through, which is why no one among them said they would hope she would be okay. But a little hope and prayer never hurt anybody, and their hands all clasped together tightly.

* * *

><p>Minnie was now a puppet. Her strings were soft as cotton, and she was the happiest dancer on the stage. There were prettier puppets with better stories to display, but Minnie knew someday she'd have a great story to perform too. She could never see the audience, but she could always hear their applause. What story would she be performing today? The curtains were opening, and her strings moved around in anticipation.<p>

"Ladies and gentlemen," The booming narrator announced, "We have a special performance here tonight! The Private versus the Pirate!" The audience cheered wildly, for that performance was always a fan favorite. Minnie would at last have the chance to play this beloved story. She knew the lines by heart, and proudly walked out into the spotlight. The puppet playing the pirate was already there, handsome and rough around the edges, comically sticking the sword glued to his wooden hand.

"You are under arrest!" Minnie shouted, and they did battle, batting their toy swords together and chasing each other around the stage. They exchanged insults and enjoyed the thrill of competition. It was fun, and she was happy, for she was making the audience happy. She would do anything to please them. They were all that mattered.

The pirate then stopped in place, even though he was supposed to be running away. He looked down at the sword in his hand, and, defying his strings, ripped it out of place, throwing it on the floor. The audience gasped in surprise, for this was not according to the play. He held out his arms toward her. "I love ye, turtledove."

"That's not in the script!" Minnie pointed her sword at him, but he dodged it every time. "You're not doing it right! You're ruining the play!" What was he thinking? The puppets must always obey the will of the puppeteer. The audience had begun to boo and hiss at the changes made. She could feel all of their eyes boring into her, finding her every flaw and mistake. Maybe she really wasn't ready yet.

The pirate held her hand, and his wooden touch was warm. "What do ye want ta do? What do ye want?"

What silly questions he asked! The words spun around her over and over, and she felt dizzy. Up above, she saw a glint of light. A sword, a real sword, was being held to her strings. She screamed, and tried to reach for them, but she wasn't tall enough. "No, don't! I need my strings! Please don't cut them!" But the sword wasn't kind, and in one motion, they tore through her strings. She fell to the stage, and could not move no matter how hard she tried.

"But I could be kind enough to give you one last mercy… your dear captain will be joining you soon." The narrator's voice changed, and a dark hand reached out to grab the pirate puppet in its clutches. He struggled in their grasp, trying to reach for Minnie, but another hand held up pins and nails, sticking them into the pirate, right through him, and Minnie had no choice but to watch. She could cry and scream and protest but she couldn't move, and she heard the audience applauding, applauding, applauding…

* * *

><p>During the days that Minnie had not woken in the hospital, Oswald and Ortensia were two of many who didn't know about the attack. Amelia had only allowed minor details to be reported in the newspapers, and so the only knowledge they could relay was that a private was seriously wounded by an unknown assailant. Oswald and Ortensia didn't see this as important news, as they were too focused on their own mission. In their search for Mirage's connection to Doppler, Oswald had remembered that one of his older brothers was meeting with the doctor, and Ortensia demanded that they listen in on the meeting. It was midday, and to their fortunate no one was on the streets of the home of the brother. They stood in front of the home, feeling a need to tilt their heads since the house was strangely lopsided.<p>

The house was strange for many reasons besides the angle. It was colored randomly without a hint of a pattern or scheme, and many of the windows looked mismatched. It looked like it was designed by a child, and Ortensia decided that everyone in Oswald's family had to be loony. "… They're gunna meet up here?"

Oswald pointed upwards. "They'll definitely be on the sixth floor. That's where Roger holds his meetings." He then drew his hand back to chest his chin on it, thinking hard. "Now the question is how to get in. If we break a window, that will no doubt set the alarms off, and the glass breaking alone would create a lot of noise. But then he is on the top floor, so he might not hear it. We could try scaling the walls, but that might take some rope, and - " He looked to his side to have Ortensia's opinion, but she was no longer with him.

She was on the porch, holding the front door open. "It's unlocked."

"… In we go." Oswald stuck his hands into his pants pocket and followed Ortensia inside. The inside of the house was just as discolored and disorganized as the outside, with many household objects enlarged to fun yet needless sizes.

Ortensia found the stairs, and trailed a finger along the Christmas lights that were wrapped around the railway. "… This Roger, he's not exactly…"

"You can say he's an idiot." Oswald kept his voice low, and the two begin to ascend the spiraling stairs. "He's the oldest in my family, and the most successful, but money can't buy common sense. He makes bad investments, he owns the weirdest companies, and he flushes more money down the drain than water. One time I literally caught him flushing money down the drain."

Ortensia noticed that there wasn't a sound of resentment or anger in Oswald's voice. Instead, he was resigned to the fact that his brother wasn't the brightest bulb. "… And this one of the guy's ye were tryin' ta be like?" If Oswald was called second-rate to someone that nutty, she could understand why his pride meant so much to him. He barely had any to start with so he needed to desperately cling on to what little had had.

"He's father's favorite." Oswald shrugged his shoulders. "But there is one thing about him that makes up for everything else he does."

"What's that?" Ortensia didn't wait for answer when she heard soft sounds coming from a room above. They had reached the sixth floor, and by listening in on the voices, they were able to find the meeting room. The door was cracked open ajar, and they were able to peer inside. Three chairs were set up around a table, two to one side and one on the other. Doppler was standing up, trying to catch the multiple folders of papers falling out of his hands. On the other side was who Ortensia assumed was Roger, since he was the only rabbit in the room.

Aside from the giant floppy ears, Roger and Oswald looked nothing alike. Roger lacked the black fur, small face, and snobbish demeanor that came naturally to Oswald. Instead, Roger was white, with a large expressive face, and was reaching across the table to try and help the doctor but making a bigger mess of things. Everything about him was humorously huge, including his eyes, his nose, his hands, his feet, and even his red business suit seemed too big for his body. "Jeepahs, doctah Doppler," Ortensia had to stick a finger in her ear and dig out any potential blockage to make sure she was hearing Roger's absurd lisp right, "ya got more papuhs than a newsboy!"

Ortensa wildly looked at Oswald, and whispered close to him. "… What was that about him havin' one thing that made up fer all of this?"

Oswald motioned with his hand for to keep looking at the room. "His wife, Jessica." Sitting calmly beside Roger was an outstandingly beautiful human woman. She too was large, but in all the right places, such as her height, her long and flowing red hair, her elegantly sparkling rose colored dress that spilled onto the floor, her expressive eyes, her full lips, and if Ortensia kept noticing all the impossibly pretty features of the woman, she would have died of jealousy. She was patiently waiting for Doppler to rearrange his notes, politely keeping her hands in on her lap, on top of a current newspaper. "She's the one who makes the right investments," Oswald whispered back to Ortensia, "And makes sure Roger never wastes more than they can't afford. Whenever he makes a smart decision, everyone knows she told him what to do. She's the brains of his plans."

"I'll say, those brains are about ta spill outta her dress." Ortensia grumbled before trying to listen in on the conversation, swallowing down her feelings of inadequacy.

Delbert sighed as he sat down. "I really am sorry about this. My head's not on straight… there's a lot going on at home." It was the understatement of the century but he knew he couldn't give them the accurate details behind his messy panic.

"Aw, what's up, Doc?" Roger eased back into his chair, twiddling his thumbs. "Ya can always tell us!" Jessica still remained quiet, and it was difficult to tell if she shared her husband's sentiments.

"… Actually, I can't." he avoided eye contact with the happy couple, and fidgeted with his glasses. Amelia had told him what happened with Minerva, and that had only increased his worries for his wife and their future. "In fact, I really think we should try this another time. I need to be at home with my wife. A lot has been happening, and I need to make sure she's all right."

Delbert had already said too much, as Roger sprang out of his seat and jumped on the table. "Whaddya mean, need ta make sure she's all right? Did somethin' happen ta Amelia? What happened, what happened?" He grabbed Delbert by the shoulders and shook him back and forth, terrified for the woman he had never met.

The shaking caused Delbert to lose his papers all over again, and he once again tried to clean them up. "I really can't talk about it, Mr. Rabbit, I hope you understand…"

Jessica at last moved, taking the newspaper out of her lap and laying it flat on the table. "Would it happen to have anything to do with the Private who was attacked a few days ago?" She tapped the headline that spoke about what knowledge Amelia had allowed to be spread. She talked smoothly, and Ortensia was stunned that even Jessica's voice was beyond gorgeous. "It's all everyone's talking about. It's one thing to be attacked in the line of duty, but she was attacked during a party. It says that your wife was the first on the scene to find the Private."

Doelbert gave up on his papers, deciding he could always make copies later. "Yes… and no… look, it's all a very complicated matter. I'm not sure I can tell you both much without putting you in trouble. Maybe I should just go." He turned toward the door, and Oswald and Ortensia scrambled to move and not be seen.

Roger jumped off the table again and landed in front of Delbert, waving his arms around in various shapes. "Now hold on a minute! If my buddy Delbert is in trouble, I'm not just gunna sit around and do nothin'! We should call my pal Valiant, he'll knew what ta do!"

Delbert took a step back, trying to determine if he had ever heard the name before. "Valiant?"

"He's a private detective." Jessica stood up, and walked towards Roger. "He works off the grid and isn't associated with the A.R.M.Y. or N.A.V.Y., and he's known Roger from a long time ago. He owes us a few favors. His fee is high, but he does good work."

Delbert raised his eyebrows as the notion was made to him. Amelia had wanted to keep this whole Mirage disaster a secret, but that could probably be helped by someone who made a living by keeping things private. He had few options elsewhere, and if he was trusted by the Rabbits, then this Valiant person had to be useful. "… I'll give him a shot. Thank you, both of you." This didn't mean he could relax just yet. He adjusted his glasses once more before leaning in and speaking darkly in warning. "I doubt either of you will be in too much danger, but… don't trust a woman named Mirage.

"I knew it!" Ortensia shouted in jubilation, ecstatic to know that her plan did have its uses. Alas, she celebrated too loudly, and Jessica swung the door wide open to reveal the trespassers. Perhaps she shouldn't have been the one to keep thinking that Roger was the stupid one. She began to back up and reached for the miniature knives in her pocket, though she doubted she needed them.

"Oswald!" Roger rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing things clearly. "I don't believe this! What are you doing here?" Jessica's lips turned into a scowl, and Delbert had little idea what was going on, but Roger was bursting with happiness. Like everything else about his body, his smile was huge. "Last we all heard, ya were headin' fer jail! The Big House! Down Town! It's so good ta see ya, little bro!" He reached out to hug the smaller rabbit, but Oswald smacked his hand away.

The black rabbit's teeth were clenched, and he looked as if he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself. He gave up on speaking, and spun around, racing down the stairs. Ortensia ran after him, and was relieved not to hear any of them give chase. She did, however, hear Roger call after his brother, the name 'Oswald' being shouted out in sadness.

* * *

><p>The circus was in town! Everyone was welcome to come and marvel at the sights. Watch as the amazing Daisy balances the tightrope! Marvel as the magnificent Millicent tames the tigers! Cower as the classy Clarabelle is shot out of a canon! Ringmaster Mortimer implored his fans to try and stay in their sits to watch all of the feats. There was still more to see and more to cheer on. It was time for the main event!<p>

"What I have here is very special," Mortimer paraded around on a unicycle, showing off a large object hidden under a velvet curtain. "A one of a kind creature! The one, the only, Minnie Mouse!" He yanked back the curtain, and revealed a gigantic glass tank. Inside the water of the tank was a unique creature, half mouse and half fish. She was the smallest mermaid ever to be seen, and she swum in the same circles repeatedly.

Mortimer tapped the glass with his fingers. "Show 'em what you got, Minnie!"

Minnie floated upwards, and opened her mouth to sing. She was a good singer, but the song was one everyone had already heard before. It was nice to hear someone else sing it, they supposed. What did Minnie care? She sang, and everyone sang along, and life was content and there was nothing wrong with the circus. Mortimer invited the masses to come up and see the tank closer. People touched the tank, swarmed around her, and they all sang together. It was normal.

Then someone began singing a different song. "But now, thank God, we're home again and landed safe on shore…" Who was that? Who dared to sing something else? Why would they even want to? The crowd parted, and a familiar man was touching his hands to the glass.

The mermouse found that she knew those different lyrics as well, and felt compelled to sing with this odd man. "Back unto Cook's Harbor to the girl whom I adore…"

No one liked this. They began to bang their fists on the glass while the two sang their sole song. Minnie swam to him, and placed her hands where his were. Was different wrong? Was different bad? She liked this song too. Couldn't she sing both of them? He didn't mean any harm. He just wanted her to try something else, try something he knew she had in her. Though hundreds were around the tank, only he was really looking at her.

"But I could be kind enough to give you one last mercy… your dear captain will be joining you soon."

The tank shattered, and the water poured out. No, she needed the water! She couldn't breathe without it! She couldn't live without it! The world was shattering too, and there was her grandmother, and demons, and marionettes, strings and songs and sharp things, everything was good and then everything was pain, and Mickey was in danger and she was in danger and pain and blood and make it stop stop stop can't breathe can't breathe Mickey help no save Mickey Mickey Mickey can't breathe can't breathe –

And then she woke up.

She breathed heavily, shaking as she sat up in bed. What happened? Where was she? She touched her stomach, and found nothing sticking out of it. She looked around, seeing white walls and beeping machinery, and recognized the room as similar to Horace's in the hospital. Her eyes kept darting about, unable to stop thinking for a second. The room was devoid of people, but there were signs people had been there. There were flowers, cards, and gifts scattered about.

On a white chair she saw her uniform, her pistol, and skates, a gift saying that she was welcome back to the N.A.V.Y. once she was better. Seeing the familiar blue and gold clothes allowed her mind to hone in on the important things she knew. Mickey was in danger, and needed to be warned. Disregarding her health and whoever could be waiting for her, she stumbled out of bed to try and get to her uniform. She yanked out the small tubes that were in her arm and ripped off the oxygen mask on her face, blind to the danger she was putting herself in. Nothing mattered but getting to Mickey. Mickey had to be warned, and she had to be the one to do it, because she was the only one who knew.

She tore off her hospital gown, and put on her uniform and skates, keeping the pistol tucked safely away on her belt. She ran for the door, and when she opened the door, she accidentally smacked a nurse with it. The startled nurse, a large hen, tried to walk in front of Minnie. "You're awake! Thank goodness! But what in the world are you doing out of bed?"

"I have to go!" Minnie tried to walk around the nurse, but her shoulders were grabbed and she was shoved back into the room.

"Don't be silly, you can't go anywhere in your condition." The nurse closed the door in Minnie's face, and locked the door from the outside. "I'll go get the doctor, you just lay back and relax.

There was no time to get mad at the nurse. There was no time for anything. Minnie spun around the room, needing a way out. She had to get out, had to warn him, and she could think about anything else later. Her eyes fell on the chair again, and then on the window near her bed. She didn't think as she picked up the chair, and smashed it against the window. Her mind was only on a straight path, doing things to get to her goal and only the goal.

She climbed out the broken window, not paying to the shards that skid by her skin. She was on a roof top, and could see smaller roof tops below her. She clicked her heels together, making the skates hiss to life, and she jumped from one roof top to the other, not sure where she was going but knowing that she wouldn't find Mickey in the hospital. She jumped and ran across the buildings, her stitches on her stomach and back beginning to throb. She ran, she jumped, and she flew, only able to think of the man whose life was in danger. Only Mickey.

She was nearing pirate territory, recognizing the rooftop of the particular bar that had started so many messes. She could see two familiar figures passing by the bar, and recognized them as Oswald and Ortensia. They would know where Mickey was! She jumped off the building she was on, and skated down the wall, unable to stop until she pointed her heels down and skidded to a halt in front of the bewildered duo. She grabbed Ortensia by her arms. "Where's Mickey?"

Ortensia looked around, trying to figure out where Minnie came from. "Wha… what's with ye, girly? I ain't tellin' ye where he is!" Had Minnie's sudden appearance not surprised her, how Minnie looked would have. She was sweating profusely, her body was trembling hard, and she was gasping for air.

Minnie was in no mood to play with Ortensia's jealous games, and tightened her grip on the cat to a painful degree. "He's in danger! Someone is after his life! _Tell me where he is_!"

Oswald knew right away that this wasn't in line with Minnie's usual anger towards Mickey. This was more hysterical, more direct, and he wasn't about to delay what Minnie needed. "His ship is still docked, he's the only one on it, but he's meeting with a cat named Mirage today."

Minnie couldn't have possibly known that Mirage was the one who attacked her, but in her linear path of thought, Mickey was in danger with any cat. "Take me to him! Now!" She let go of Ortensia, who lost the urge to egg Minnie on. Everything about Minnie said she was not to be toyed with, and that she was serious about every word.

Ortensia still didn't trust her, but wouldn't turn her away. "Fine, follow us!" She took off in a run, with Oswald hesitantly following and Minnie skating after them. Ortensia grumbled as she ran, not liking that she was leading her competition to her brother. Besides, as a pirate, people were always after Mickey's life. What made this any different? She glanced back to ask Minnie that very question, and saw that during their run, Minnie had fallen to her knees. "What's the hold up!" She and Oswald turned around, quickly making their back to where Minnie had fallen. "Gettin' us all excited and then ye…"

She trailed off, and now saw the same painful exhaustion that Oswald did. Something was seriously wrong with Minnie. Her face was pale, and she was holding her stomach as if keeping something from spilling out. Oswald's ears shot up as an instant connection was made in his mind. "The injured private… that's you!"

Minnie wobbly tried to stand up, her linear mind going off in different tracks, and her anger quelled by her suffering. "Don't stop… we have to keep going! Please, take me there!" She was about to fall again, but this time Ortensia reached out to catch her.

Ortensia still didn't like any of this, yet found it in her to take Minnie into her arms and carry her. "Just hang on, girly. We're almost there!" Again she ran off, and this time there was no hesitation coming from Oswald. They couldn't go back now, and had to see whatever Minnie's resolution to the end.

* * *

><p>Mickey was irritable today for a multitude of reasons. He was out of his rum, he had to endure another meeting with Mirage, and most importantly of all, he hadn't seen his sweet Minnie in days. That latter bit was what occupied his mind the most, as he laid back in his chair, feet up on his desk, ignoring most of what the tall cat was saying. He normally tried to ignore her anyway, as Mirage was an annoyance. The instilled politeness towards women in the captain as the only reason he had let her come on his ship to try and make her deals.<p>

Mirage appeared to notice his distant eyes, and smirked, clearing her throat to try and catch his attention again. "Am I boring you, Captain?"

"Aye." No sense in lying to her. "It's always the same old story with ye, Mirage. Comin' here with some big deal from the black market, but I gotta give up half me booty fer any decent info. Yer a broken record, and I can't afford ta keep fixin' ye." He pulled his feet back, sitting up straight, wanting to dismiss her as soon as possible. He needed to get back to thinking of ways to reel in Minnie again.

She stood up from her seat, but did not move to leave. "I will admit I have made some… accidents… in the past." She pretended not to see his eyes rolling from the choice of that word. "But now I believe I've more than made up for them. In fact, my journey here was to prove my loyalty to you, dear Captain. I came baring gifts." In response, Mickey began to dig into his pockets for his yo-yo, showing his boredom already. Mirage smirked, and touched the scabbards at her hip. She always had far too many scabbards and swords, using them more for threats than fighting. She began to extract a rather long one out, taking her time to try and garner his attention.

"I've got swords." Mickey quipped, unimpressed so far. "And ye got ten seconds before I throw ye out." He had his fingers on the toy but hadn't pulled it out just yet.

Mirage merely chuckled. "Always so impatient, dear Captain." In a sudden and swift motion, she stabbed the desk, piercing it so that it could stand on its own when she let go. Mickey hadn't been flinched, but that hadn't been the point. Now that he could fully see it up close, the blade was coated in rusty red, and judging by the smell, it had to be faded blood. Mickey's nose scrunched up, instantly uncomfortable. The cat stepped back, proud of her work. "Your enemies are my enemies, Captain. This is proof I have taken the life of a N.A.V.Y. member, and it's one less person you have to worry about."

The sword may as well have stabbed Mickey in his gut, judging by his expression. He stared hard at the weapon, the mind reeling to a very dark place, but he tried to assure himself – there were hundreds of N.A.V.Y. girls, his precious one couldn't have been hurt. Yet when he spoke, his voice was unusually quiet, his tongue sticking to his mouth with each word. "My … enemies." His eyes met hers with great reluctance. "Who?"

When Mirage smiled, it almost looked like each sharp tooth of hers was showing off. "Such a great captain as you doesn't need something like a pitiful little crush to keep them down. With that girl gone, you can focus on making yourself the most famous pirate the world has ever known. She didn't even die with grace." She pressed her middle finger to her thumb, imitating the squishing of a bug. "I took care of Minerva for you."

Silence.

* * *

><p>The very much alive Minnie hung onto Ortensia as they made their way to the docks. Now that she didn't have to run, she could clear up her mind and try to assure herself that everything would turn out all right. Maybe Mirage wasn't the same cat who attacked her. "How long has Mirage been there?"<p>

"Dunno." Ortesnia kept her eyes ahead, determined not to trip in he speed. "She got on when I got off… no one's on the ship 'cept her and Mickey. Everyone else went off to the market to stock up." Zig-zagging around startled passerbys, she took a gulp of air to speak again. "You really think someone's after him?"

"I know what I heard!" Minnie winced for every rough movement Ortensia made, but they soon slowed down to a stop. The ship was ahead, and Minnie felt she had now enough strength to walk. The ship was deserted, since, as Ortensia said, everyone else had gone to market, and so the entire ship had an eerie quiet to it.

Oswald frowned as they began to step on the ship, trying to understand what Minnie had been saying. "If you think Mirage may be the one after his life, there could be trouble. He doesn't like hurting women, so he may go easy on her. I know he goes easy on you."

Minnie pressed a hand hard to her side, hoping that her stitches weren't opening from all of her running. She was in deep pain, but couldn't let something so trivial get in the way. Taking a few deep breaths, she stayed in place, looking around. "Well, where are they?"

Ortensia put a flat hand over the top of her eyes, also searching, in case the two had left his room. "They should be in his quar-"

A flying body interrupted Ortensia, emerging right from the aforementioned captain's quarters. It had been thrown right through his door, and landed on its back in the middle of the deck, almost right in front of the stunned trio. Automatically they could tell it was Mirage, who looked just as surprised as they were, with her body now covered in deep scratches from the toss. All three looked to where she had been thrown from, and there, in what used to be a doorway, stood the captain, in a form of something they had never seen before.

Pure _rage._

"What… did… you…do… _to my Minnie_?" Even his voice was unrecognizable, said in such a monstrous growl that he was almost unintelligible. In one hand, he held his pistol, and in the other, the very same sword that Mirage had tried to end Minnie's life with. His breathing was unnatural, with fangs bared, eyes blazing, his entire body shaking with anger he had not felt in decades. Yet he did not even give time for Mirage to answer, as he jumped from the doorway, sword pointed down, intending to slice her in half. The cat shrieked in fear, rolling over to a side, getting mere inches of her hair nicked away. Mirage managed to extract another sword from her hip, but Mickey was already on her, swinging hard in every which way, almost frothing at the mouth with fury.

There was no mind in him, there was no blood or air, the only thing inside of Mickey was anger and grief. This could not have happened, he would not have let this happened. She had no right to take away his Minnie, and then words couldn't form in his head, nor could thoughts. There was nothing but hate, and anger, and she would pay! Why Minnie, why his precious Minnie? Mirage wasn't even a woman in his head, but a force, an entity that needed to answer for what it had done.

No matter where Mirage ran, Mickey caught up to her, and swung at her. He stopped being a man of flesh and blood, and now was only a machine fueled by insatiable despair. All that mattered now was revenge and punishing the one who had committed the greatest sin. Let Mirage bleed, let her scream, let her suffer, but none of it would satisfy him. Not his Minnie, not his turtledove, not like his mother, why did everyone want to take away the people most precious to him? Again, he had been unable to stop them, and again, his life was nothing.

He screamed with tears in his eyes, able to see the horrific scene from his childhood as his mother lay dead, but then his mother became Minnie, and she was dead, dead, dead, that awful word that was clawing at his soul and there was nothing he could do. He needed to stop this, needed to stop letting people take away his family, he wouldn't let them take his family, not his mother, not his Minnie. Mirage couldn't take Minnie, you can't have Minnie, not my Minnie, please, for the love of everything good and pure in my life, I'll give it all away, just give me back my Minnie, not my Minnie, not my Minnie, Minnie Minnie Minnie!

As for the audience of three, they didn't know what to make of what they were seeing, as mouse chased cat with every intention to draw blood. Though Mirage was far taller than him, she was obviously having extreme difficulty avoiding death, using every ounce of strength just to defend herself, and even then she still was getting cut here and there. This was different than the fight with Amelia because Amelia didn't have weapons, and this anger was far deeper. Minnie, frightened by this display, tugged lightly on Oswald's hand, trying to speak. "…I… I thought you said he refuses to hurt girls."

"He does." The rabbit replied weakly, not sure what to do now that they found the exception to the rule. "At least… he says he does." He looked to Ortensia for confirmation, but she was just as terrified as Minnie. Never had she seen her brother worked into such hate, not even when his mother had been killed. She didn't know who this man was.

As for the fighting duo, they were entirely unaware they were being watched, since one was working on pure emotion, and the other just trying to survive. Mirage thought maybe she could reason with him, as the duel began going up and down the stairs of the ship. "Captain! Be reasonable! You were wasting your life on that game with her!" If the gash that he then gave her arm was any indication, reason wasn't working. "She was a soldier, she was bound to die!" A hard kick in the stomach stopped her arguments, and she once more fell on her back. When her vision cleared, she could clearly see Mickey standing over her, his pistol touching her temples.

Mirage slowly looked into his piercing glare, having never seen such anger in all of her life. This was going against everything she had seen and learned about Mickey. She swallowed, and laughed pitifully, her body shuddering. "Captain… you wouldn't shoot me. Not you, who've always pledged to never take a life." A pledge she had always mocked, and yet now prayed desperately he would live up to. His thumb moved, and there was a small click from the pistol.

Silence once more… and then, a shot screamed in the air. But it was not from Mickey's gun.

Minnie held her arm up high, having let go of Oswald's hand to fire her own gun in the air, trying to stop what could not taken back. It did the trick, as not only did Mickey turn around to see where the noise had come from, Mirage had also fainted in sheer horror, thinking she finally met her end. As for Mickey, the instant his eyes fell upon his lady love, his fury was swept by the tides. "M-Minnie!" Both weapons were dropped, and he all but flew down the stairs, arms outstretched in sheer relief. "Minnie!" Before Minnie could even lower her arm, she was scooped up into Mickey's arms, as he swung her around in joy, and then pressed her close to his chest. "_Minnie_!"

Minnie managed to pull her head back from his loving embrace. "So… I guess Mirage didn't hurt you?" Now that she could see Mickey, outside of his monstrous attacks, her breathing became easier. Everything really was okay. It was time to be professional again.

Mickey blinked, somehow forgetting all about Mirage in the seconds of unabashed happiness of seeing Minnie alive and well. "Huh. Guess not." He touched her cheeks, and looked her body all over. "What about ye? What did she do ta ye?"

"I'm fine, I just…" It was then they both spotted the growing dark spot on Minnie's uniform, right where her wound was. She almost bit her tongue in her realization. "My stitches!"

Mickey snapped his fingers to Ortensia and Oswald, who had been frozen in place since the massacre had started.. "Get rid of Mirage and get a doctor!"

"Aye aye!" Both the cat and the rabbit spoke together, now terrified of somehow igniting that anger again. Oswald fled away from the ship to find help, while Ortensia was more than happy to drag Mirage down to the brig.

As for the mice, Mickey scooped up Minnie, beginning to carry her right back to his partially damaged quarters, despite her protests. "Hey! Put me down! I'll go and get myself a real doctor!" Now that she knew Mickey wasn't in danger, she had no reason for being there. He didn't need her thinking she had actually cared about his well being or other such nonsense.

"Yer not goin' anywhere 'til we get ye all fixed up." Judging by his stone tone, that decision was final and could not be swayed. A question did plague him by the time they entered the room. "What are ye doin' here anyway, out in pirate territory?"

Minnie decided, for the sake of her body's health, to stop resisting for now, and let herself be laid out on his bed. Once she was comfortable enough, she faced him. "That woman… Mirage… she attacked me during Mortimer's party. I thought Mortimer wanted to see me in private, but it was just her." She frowned, recalling her own stupidity for falling for such a trick. "I guess since she thought I was dying, she told me she was going to come after you next… but Captain Amelia found me before it was too late. When I regained consciousness, I had to find you before Mirage got her plan started."

Throughout the short story, Mickey had been tenderly stroking Minnie's cheek with two fingers, but stopped himself when he heard that last sentence. A devious little smirk came across him, and he twisted one of her spitcurls in his fingers. "Little turtledove was worried about me?"

Now where did he get such a silly idea from? She had said nothing of the kind. Cheeks flushed, she turned her head away. "Of… of course not. But when I know a murder is about to occur, I have to do everything in my power to prevent it." It was her duty as a member of the N.A.V.Y., and she told herself she would have reacted the same way had Mirage told she was going to kill anybody else. Mickey wasn't a special exception. Perhaps it was her exhaustion, but she was beginning to think all of these constant denials were getting annoying.

"I was worried too." He held up her hand, and pressed it to his cheek, doing everything he could to confirm to himself that she really was alive, that she really would be okay.

Minnie hesitated, but then moved her head to face him. "…You really thought I was dead?" It made her wonder if anyone else thought the same. Goodness, she needed to check on her family and friends. Yet she couldn't bring herself to try and get up. The bed was comfy, and the company wasn't terrible.

"I wasn't thinkin' straight." He kissed each finger, each knuckle. "Shoulda known yer made a stronger stuff."

She said nothing for a moment, watching him. All of that terrifying anger, and then all of this genuine relief? It was not something she believed him capable of. He was always throwing surprises at her, and she still hadn't learned what to do when confronted by them. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she tried to sound reassuring. "Well, I'm not going anywhere. I plan to live a very long life, thank you very much."

He smiled, and playfully poked at her cheek. "Careful now, alla that blood comin' outta ye might make ye say some things."

She fought a smile herself, not wanting to admit how amusing he could be. "Like what? That my life's dream is to be a short captain's pirate wench for the rest of my days?"

"I'm not short. Everyone else is just unnaturally tall. Somethin' in the water, no doubt." He lay down beside her, still not releasing her hand. "I'm just sayin' ta rest and relax, turtledove. A doctor will be here real soon, and until then, ye just close them pretty little eyes and wait."

"I will do no such thing." Though the idea was tempting, and she was tired. "After all you do to me when I'm awake? I'm not letting you touch me while I'm asleep."

"Ye don't think very highly a me, do ye?" But he dismissed the insult easily enough. He was willing to let bygones be bygones if it meant she could feel better soon. "Aint no safer place for me turtledove than in the luvin' arms of her captain." With the way her arm reached out towards him, he expected a usual slap from her. Instead, though, the hand grabbed his shoulder, and he was then yanked on top of her, her cheek pressed against his. She felt then that his cheek was wet, and came to one conclusion – that during the battle, which happened so quickly that paying too much attention to his eyes was impossible, he had been shedding tears.

"Then don't let me go." Her voice was a whisper, perhaps from all the blood she had lost so far, perhaps from all the emotions this day had made her experience, perhaps from everything she had seen him do in the span of minutes, perhaps all of it or none of it. Though her grip was weak, she refused to let go of him.

The pirate was surprised, and slowly wrapped his arms around her, making his touch gentle as to not aggravate her wound. "I won't." He lifted his head enough to kiss her forehead. "Not goin' anywhere either." They said nothing more as they held each other, and it was very possible that Minnie had nodded off. Mickey waited, and then put his head to her chest, counting off each heartbeat he heard. Every single one was a beautiful sound.

**End Of Chapter Twenty-One.**


	22. Winner Versus Loser

The dictionary should be changed, so when you look up 'awesome', the great editor Lies should be the first definition.

* * *

><p>When Minnie woke up that morning, she was surprised not to hear her alarm clock ringing. Did she wake up before the clock for once? Yawning quietly, she began to shift under the bed sheets and try to stir herself out of sleep. Slowly, she began to notice the differences around her. She never went to bed with her uniform on, and, as she moved around, these sheets weren't made out of the same fabric as her usual ones. Puzzled, she opened her eyes to see what else had changed.<p>

The biggest change she saw was Mickey lying by her side, on top of the sheets, sleeping soundly beside her. The sight shocked Minnie awake, and she sat straight up in bed. When did he – how did he – Mickey was on her bed! _Mickey was on her bed!_ Without thinking clearly or bothering to look at the bedroom, she shoved Mickey as hard she could off of the bed while shrieking "Get off my bed!"

Mickey grunted in pain when his face met the floor, and he scrambled to get on his knees to glare at the attacker. "What was that fer?"

"What were you doing on my bed?" She pointed an accusatory finger at him while her mind was flooded with ideas of what he did to her in her sleep. Knowing how much of a deviant he was, his hands were probably _there_ and his lips were probably _there_, and he didn't even bother to wake her up for any of it!

Mickey stood up, beginning to stretch his arms and back now that he was awake. "Turtledove, it's not yer bed. It's mine." He vaguely gestured to the room around them, hoping sense would snap back into her and she'd remember everything that happened.

Minnie lowered her finger as all of the memories rushed into place, leaving her silent while recollecting. The attack by Mirage, waking up in the hospital, the rush to warn Mickey, seeing Mickey take on Mirage, and then passing out on his bed…She lightly touched her forehead, her anger cooling. "Oh… that's right… I'm sor-No, wait!" She put her hands on her hips, still defiant about what she considered a very important point. "That still doesn't give you an excuse to climb into bed with me!"

"Where was I supposed ta sleep? 'Sides, it's me bed." He sat on the bed next to her, not annoyed but instead displaying irritating cockiness. "Ye weren't doin' much complainin' last night… Ye kept passin' in and out, and I heard me name a few times."

Minnie's face went redder than the blood stains on her uniform. Quickly looking away, she rolled the bed sheets off of her legs, eager to get out of this mess. "You're a liar. I did no such thing." She couldn't defend what she couldn't remember, but it wouldn't surprise her if Mickey made that up. What was making her worry was that it wouldn't surprise her if he was telling the truth either.

Mickey inched in closer, wiggling his eyebrows. He knew this time a fight on her end would be useless. He had proof of her feelings, and she wasn't getting away without a confrontation. "And before that, ye told me not ta let ye go." He grabbed her chin and made her look at him, not wanting to give her time to think about excuses. "And ye were wide awake fer that."

Minnie was internally panicking because for once he had something she couldn't really deny. She clearly remembered saying that to him, but there had to have been a good reason for it. If he hadn't been looking at her with such intense eyes, she could've thought of such a reason. "I… I… well, that was… um…" She didn't know why she had told him not to let her go. It had just come out all on its own. Even now, the fight she was putting up seemed exhausting.

"It's okay ta admit ye were worried." He let go of her face, and planted his hands on the bed, leaning over her without intimidating her. "I was, too. And I kept me word… I didn't leave ye, not ever." Nor did he have any plans on leaving her now. He wasn't entirely sure he could even let her leave the ship, after the terror he had gone through. "Still don't think it was that bright a ye ta go runnin' around with that wound…"

"Well – well what was I supposed to do?" She couldn't tear herself away from his eyes, and became unsure of what she wanted to be made clear. "I couldn't just wait around to get better so I could tell you what Mirage said." Even though Mickey had shown he was more than enough of a match for Mirage, Minnie still felt justified in her actions. There was no way around her logic. She did what she had to do, what needed to be done, and she did not regret it. "I want you arrested, I don't want you dead…"

It was with that statement that another memory reared its head. Back on The Hawkins, Minnie had felt the same sadness and fear for Mickey's life because of his imminent execution. For some reason, Minnie had thought him incapable of dying outside of that range. It didn't connect to her that there were other people who would want Mickey dead. Mickey dying was an impossibility on its own. Someone so full of life and energy just couldn't die.

Many of her feelings towards Mickey were still confusing, but at the very least she knew she didn't want him to die. Without making the conscious decision to do so, she found herself closer to Mickey, their faces only a hair's breadth apart. Mickey could see his chance shining in her eyes. "Why?" What sounded like a simple question carried the weight of both of their worlds. If she could tell him why she wanted him alive, why she wanted him safe, maybe she could at last be honest about how she felt for him. That, or, judging by how close they were, they could wind up making out on his bed. Mickey wasn't feeling picky about either decision.

Minnie was sick of fighting with herself over these feelings. He was a pirate and she was a private, and thus it was her duty to arrest him and send him to his death. Yet she couldn't bear the thought of him dead, and wanted to have him alive, immortal, never taking a hit or a cut and to continue spreading his joyous spirit to everyone around him. He didn't deserve to die, and she could not bring herself to be the one to aid in his death. She wanted him to keep living and to keep chasing her, because another piece of proof that couldn't be denied was the rage she had seen him take on Mirage. That couldn't have been mind games.

His anger had been real, which meant that his care for her must be real as well. There was a staggering reality to accept, and Minnie didn't know if she was ready for it. His desire for her reached for more than her body, it was something wholesome and tender, and to deny its life was a losing battle. She made her mouth move and each word was pushing a massive boulder with her tiny body. "Because… I… I want…" A voice was screaming in her to say it, just say it, end it and say the word that she had fled from so long. More voices in her screamed different things, that this was wrong, that this was right, to kiss him, to shove, and then, strangely, one voice was chewing loudly.

Except that wasn't an internal voice, and she and Mickey could both hear it out loud. They turned their heads to Mickey's door, which was wide open, and showed half of Mickey's crew watching what was going on inside his bedroom. Realizing that they had been caught, Peg smacked Pete upside the head. "I told ye not to bring any snacks!" Pete mumbled an apology while trying to hide the bag of popcorn behind his back.

"That's it!" Mickey stood up on the bed, grabbing his pillows one by one and hurling them at his fleeing crew. "Yer all fired! Get off me ship! Get outta here! When I get my hands on ye, I'm gunna…" He ran out of artillery, he thought about hurling his yo-yo, but when he reached to grab it he saw Minnie climbing out of bed and walking away. "H-Hey! No, no, no!" He jumped off the bed, trying to get in her way. "Get back on the bed! Ye were about ta say something!"

"I don't believe I was." Minnie had flipped back into defensive mode now that she was in public. "Besides, I have to get back to the hospital. Everyone's probably worried about me, and I have my duties to attend to." Sticking her nose in the air, she walked around him, and headed out the door. The remaining pirates parted for her, allowing her to walk out without interruption.

"But… But…" Mickey spoke to the air, and then yanked down hard enough on his hat that he was sure he heard it rip. He looked at those who were still at his door – Pete, Peg, Oswald and Ortensia- and chose to bark at the rabbit. "Orlando!"

Oswald had long since given up on correcting Mickey's constant name faults, though he was becoming convinced the captain was doing them on purpose. "What?"

"Is the doctor still here?"

Oswald glanced out the door to check, and nodded. "Doctor Teeth? Yes, he and the Electric Mayhem are still on board."

"Good – 'cause I'm about ta kill all of ye!" Mickey picked up a fallen pillow, and since Oswald was the closest one to Mickey while also being male, he was also the one who started getting beaten with the feathery mound. "Do ye fools have any idea how close I was? Do ye have any idea what it's like ta be crazy about a girl who keeps rejectin' ye?" Oswald tried to reply with 'kinda', but got sacked in the face again. "All I wanted was fer her ta say she loved me! That's all I ever wanted! Now why in all of the seven seas did ye loonies have ta go and ruin it? Who said ye could come inta my room at any time?"

"Ye did, big brother." Ortensia chimed in, pleased by the fact she had helped to spoil yet another romantic endeavor between the mice. "Ye told me last night that when Mirage woke up, we were ta get ye immediately, no matter what ye were doin'. And she's up."

Mickey paused in his pillow pounding. ".. Oh. Right." He whacked Oswald once more for good measure, and then dropped the pillow. "All of ye, come with me. We're gunna see if we can get any answers outta her." He headed for the door, and the four followed him, with Oswald spitting out feathers from his assault.

"Let me at her first!" Peg punched her hands together, anger blazing hot. She had forced herself into Mickey's crew since she and Pete had returned from fixing him up. "I still gotta make her pay fer everythin' she did ta us durin' that whole Barnaby nonsense!"

Mickey held up a hand to try and quiet her down. "Nuh-uh. No one's gunna a lay hand on her. We ain't gunna torture the info outta her. If she doesn't talk, we just dump her off at the N.A.V.Y. and let them lasses handle her. It ain't right to attack someone like that."

The five headed down a long stairway, the lights darkening as they reached the cells of the ship. "But," Pete growled, keeping both flesh and mechanical eyes ahead to get a better view of the upcoming prisoner. "It's okay fer ye to go all nuts on her? We heard all about how ye were this closin' ta takin' all nine of Mirage's lives."

Mickey slowed down, and his nose face scrunched up as those familiar feelings of rage swam in his body. "… That's… not the same. I lost control." He didn't know he could possess that much uncontrollable anger, and the thought of it being unleashed again spooked him. He didn't want to think about how close he had come to breaking his vow to never take a life. Mirage deserved to be punished for what she had done, but an eye for an eye made the whole world blind. He didn't want to take that first step into becoming someone like Mirage. Life was precious, and he had no right to take in. "I ain't gunna be talkin' about it again."

Only one cell was lit, thanks to a small candle in the corner. Mirage sat on a wooden bench, hands folded in her lap, and her wrists and ankles were chained up. Her swords had been taken from her, and some of her cuts still looked like they were bleeding. Despite this, she looked confident, and smiled darkly when her visitors approached her bars. "Good morning, dear captain."

Mickey approached the cell with his arms crossed, ready to jump right into business. "Why did ye go after Minnie? Out of all the N.A.V.Y. girls in the kingdom, ye went after mine. Why?"

The assassin leaned comfortably against the cold wall, not frightened by any of their piercing stares. "It was like I said… I did it to help you."

"That's a laugh!" Peg shoved Mickey side and gripped the bars in her hands. "Ye don't care about anyone but yerself! Someone made ye do it, so spill it, or I'll come in there and rip every nail outta ye!" She would have gladly tried to do it now, but Pete tucked an arm around her and pulled her away from the bars. Peg grunted in protest, but stayed with him after a curt look from Mickey.

Mirage chuckled at the display Peg was giving, and carefully looked at her audience. Typically, she could use her good looks to get out of trouble. Pete and Mickey weren't going to fall for it, so her eye settled on Oswald, who had the least animosity emanating from him. "It's rather surprising to see you here, Lord Oswald. A pleasant surprise, really. I've heard so much about your family."

Oswald frowned, not understanding why he was being pointed out. Ortensia caught the implication of what Mirage was trying to do, and moved herself in front of the rabbit, blocking him off. "Him and his stupid brothers ain't got nothin' ta do with this. Answer the question… Why did ye go after Minnie?"

Miffed that she was being denied, Mirage routinely inspected her nails, treating the interrogation as a normal conversation. "Let's say someone did make me… why should I give them up? I don't hear any offers on the table."

The pirates quietly looked at each other in thought. They didn't want to let her go, nor did they believe they had enough money to satisfy her greed. To their growing discomfort, they realized they had nothing to offer her except letting her go. This didn't sit well with anyone, but Ortensia believed she had one last card to play. "Can't say I'm too surprised, Mirage… all the times we ran inta each other before this, ye always were nothin' but trouble…" She carefully lifted her head. "… Though I was hopin' Phasir would do some good."

The mention of the strange name wiped Mirage's smile off of her face. In seconds, her alluring and proud body hitched over to resentment with dashes of fear mixed in. The transformation carried over to her speech, suddenly louder and with less class. "Just as Lord Oswald's brothers have nothing to do with this, nor does that man. Mind your tongue."

Mickey stepped back to let his sister take the reins of questioning. "Who's Phasir?"

"_No one_." Mirage hissed, and began to stand, facing away from all of the eyes on her.

Ortensia copied the same stance as Mickey, crossing her arms and keeping her feet apart, wanting to give off the same impression of power he could. "A one-eyed man I met when I was travelin' through the Kingdom of Africa. That's also when I met Mirage. Word had it that Phasir was once the advisor to Africa's King, but left just go after the pretty kitty here. Says he knows he can change her. Says they used ta be together, and she'd come back ta him. I almost believed him…"

"_Infernal brat_!" Mirage whipped around, and ran at her bars, trying to reach her arms between the bars to claw at Ortensia, and while Ortensia backed up, no real threat could be made. "You don't know anything! I won't tell you fools who made me go after the private, but I assure you she will be killed! If not by my hands, then by someone better! And then you'll join her!"

"Why!" Mickey took the stage back now since his love had been threatened, and hoped to use Mirage's rant to his advantage. There stood a good chance that she could accidentally spill the truth while she was being provoked. "Why do Minnie and I have ta be killed?" Whatever the reason was, he would fix it so that Minnie's life would no longer be in any danger.

"Because of your relationship!" Mirage pushed herself away from the bars. "As long as you two insist on being together, you will be hunted down and killed!" Seeing Mickey's face turn from anger to shock gave Mirage delight, and it calmed her down enough for her to stand tall and proud. "I still won't tell you who is behind it, but it's the only reason they want you both dead. Unless you can prove she means nothing to you, you're the one who's killing her." The heartbreak on Mickey's face was delicious for the villain. She sat back down on the bench, not saying another word.

"That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard." Pete felt it was now safe to let Peg go, since nothing useful was being gained from the conversation. "Who'd want 'em both dead just cause of that? I say we dump her off at the N.A.V.Y. base." He banged his metallic arm on the bars to try and spook Mirage, but it failed. She didn't even look at him. "…Should we set sail?"

Mickey barely heard him. His mind was elsewhere, trying to rationalize Mirage's warning. Pete was right, no one would want them dead just because they were in love. But then, why _did_ someone want them dead? He hadn't been quiet about his feelings for Minnie, and it was possible anyone with power knew his intentions. Feeling ill, he staggered away from the cells, and waved a hand. "…A-Aye… ye do that…" He stumbled as he walked, trying to deny the possibility that Minnie's wounds had been his fault. That couldn't have been the reason. But right now it was the only reason he had.

* * *

><p>The weather was getting warmer, and Daisy could feel herself sweating in the oncoming summer heat. It was still early in the morning, and she had managed to sneak away from the N.A.V.Y. base for this quick plan. She'd visit Donald, express her love, show him what he'd miss out on if he left her, make out for roughly ten minutes, and she'd sprint back to the base. If Donald was leaving her, it wouldn't be without a fight. Any boy would do what Daisy commanded when she gave them the right look, which today consisted of make-up, loose hair, and tightening her uniform enough so that it made her curves stand out.<p>

Besides, during Minnie's party, it had been pointed out there was still nothing solid proving that Donna wanted Donald. The horrible hug between the two of them remained burned in Daisy's mind, but it could have been only a hug. Daisy could do a lot more than a hug. Arriving at Donald's door, she knocked three times, and waited to hear footsteps. As the door opened, she tucked her arms under her chest to show off her body, shook her head to flip her hair over her shoulder, and used the most smoldering eyes she could conjure up. Every word was a spoken purr. "Donald, _my love_, I've missed you."

That might have worked on Donald, but it did not work on Donna, who was the one who answered the door. The women stared at each other, startled to see the other one at Donald's home. Daisy awkwardly moved to stand in a normal, non-seductive position. "… Where's Donald?" It was difficult not to sound bitter.

"He was called to his Uncle's mansion an hour ago." Donna kept a hand on the doorknob just in case. "He won't be home until late."

Mentally swearing at her bad timing, Daisy didn't want to leave just yet. Maybe Donald would forget something and come home, as he had done plenty of times during their dates. "… And what are you doing here?"

"Dona'd ees letting me stay here. My house was broken into and someone has been stalking me." Donna glanced around outside to make sure whoever was stalking her wasn't keeping track of this conversation, which made her miss the short look of panic on Daisy's face. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"That's none of your business." Daisy regretted the sharp tone she took, reminding herself again that she had no proof that Donna wanted what belonged to Daisy. She shifted uncomfortably on the steps to the house. "… I'm sorry. I just wanted to see Donald because… well, you'll think this is silly." Perhaps a good laugh would make them friends instead of enemies, and Daisy smiled. "With all of those get togethers you and Donald were having, I thought you were trying to take him away from me." She giggled, but it wasn't shared with Donna.

The Spanish mallard instead smiled thinly. "I wasn't then, but I am now."

Daisy's giggles died in her beak, and to her the world became silent. "… Excuse me?"

Donna began to back away from the door. "I have realized the mistake I made by dumping Dona'd. He has become such a sweet man, and eet ees clear to me we should be together again. We get along so much better now. But cheer up, Daisy. I'm sure you'll have another man again. Just not this one. Adios." She suddenly slammed the door in Daisy's face, leaving the fiancé stunned.

Well, what did you know? Daisy had been right all along. Her paranoia had been justified, and she'd take pleasure in bragging about this later. In the present, when she got over the shock, she began pounding away at the door, screeching at the top of her lungs. "Youuu! I won't let you have him! Donald is mine, do you hear me! He belongs to me! Me, me, me!" With every declarations, she banged on the door with both of her fists, until she began to see neighbors poking their heads out of their windows to see what all the noise was about. She slowed down her assault, and timidly backed away from the front porch.

Did Donna really think she could Donald away so easily? Daisy would have to form a plan with her friends and make sure Donna knew her place. Donna would be the one to pay for this, and all of Daisy's ideas focused on how to make Donna look bad. She didn't attempt to do anything to convince Donald to make the right choice, because there was still that unsettling feeling that maybe he already had chosen. Perhaps she didn't want to confirm anything with him just yet. It was too frightening to think about.

In this long stretch of a day, Minnie had safely returned to the hospital. She had walked right up to their doors and simply told them she had left to check on something, refusing to go into further detail. She was checked over by several doctors who were surprised to see that her wounds were closed up again by someone with talented hands. She was ordered to stay at the hospital overnight, and she complied, changing back into a hospital gown and cleaning up the mess she had made in her room. The staff were marveled at the pleasant mood Minnie was in, humming little songs and offering to help anyone who passed by her room.

* * *

><p>The sun had started to set when Amelia came to the hospital. By that time, Minnie was curled up on her bed while reading a book loaned from one of the nurses. Though her eyes were on the pages, she wasn't really reading it. Instead, she was using it as a disguise in order to let her mind dream and be undisturbed. She was back in Mickey's room, hearing him say how worried he had been about her and how much he cared about her. She was warm and safe in his arms, feeling his fingers drift over her face.<p>

These weren't admittances of any feelings, mind you, but a girl was allowed to dream. There was no law about imagining a man you couldn't have. As long as she kept these fantasies as just fantasies, there was nothing wrong with her. In fact, it was better to make up things in her mind than remember the real things, because creativity wasn't a crime. Thus she began to wonder what would have happened if Mickey's crew hadn't stopped by to see the show. She touched her lips, curious as to how a kiss felt when it was actually compliant on both ends.

A gentle rapping on her door stirred her out of her daydream, and Minnie shut the book to wake herself up. "C-Come in!" She slapped her cheeks to try and get rid of the blush she was sporting, and when it didn't work, she hoped her visitor would believe it was a fever.

Amelia opened the door, and Minnie instantly saluted. "At ease, Private." Amelia closed the door behind her. "The doctors have told me you broke out of here yesterday, but have also refused to say why." Minnie said nothing. Lying came easily to strangers, but to Amelia, it was near impossible. She couldn't be said she was lying if she was quiet, so Minnie kept her eyes down and her mouth shut. Amelia walked towards the bed, arms behind her back. "Would it happen to do with Captain Mickey?"

Minnie almost fell out of her bed in shock, jerking her head upwards. "How did you know?" Judging by Amelia's stern expression, the superior didn't know until Minnie had just told her. Suddenly feeling much smaller under Amelia's gaze, Minnie fumbled for an explanation. "I… I can explain, Captain. When Mirage attacked me, she told me she was going to kill Mickey, and as a member of the N.A.V.Y., I needed to - "

"How do you know Mirage's name?" Amelia cut in, and her eyes tightened their hold on the frightened youth. Amelia didn't mean to scare Minnie, but the fact that Mirage was becoming better known in the kingdom was something that scared Amelia.

"… Oh… well…" Minnie wished she could hide under her bed sheets, knowing she was digging her graver deeper with every truth revealed. "… Mickey's crew told me, when I got to his ship… But when I got there, Mickey was already fighting her, and then they locked her up! And I would have come back right away, but then my stitches opened, and I passed out. But I'm all better now!" She pointed to her stomach, knowing that being healthy wouldn't soothe Amelia but it was worth a try.

The news of Mirage's capture meant nothing to Amelia. To her, pirates were all alike, and they'd let her go soon enough. She was still a threat, but she would be dealt with later. Amelia now loomed over Minnie's bed, having already made up a list of orders before she arrived at the hospital. "If you are given a clean bill of health tomorrow, you will be given a week's leave from the N.A.V.Y., and once the week is up a doctor will look you over to see if you are fit to return. While you are off duty, Private Clarabelle and Daisy will inform you about Mirage, and will be guarding you and your family in case Mirage wants to finish the job. You will not need to insert yourself into Mirage's investigation. However, from now on, there is one order you must follow, and I will not tolerate disobedience."

Minnie raised her eyebrows at the peculiar wording. Of course she wouldn't disobey her captain's orders, she never did, or at least she never did on purpose. She was loyal to Amelia, and a few mistakes notwithstanding, she obeyed every order she was given. "What is it, Captain?"

Amelia's eyes drifted to Minnie's uniform that now lay folded up on top of a white chair. "You are to no longer have any interaction with Captain Mickey. From now on, I am assigning special superiors to handle his arrest. You will not go after him, or even speak to him."

The young private felt a lump forming in her chest. The order made perfect sense and at the same time it was insane. Minnie tried to sit on her knees, desperate to make her captain understand where Minnie was coming from. "Captain, I can assure you, there's nothing going on between Mickey and I!"

Amelia looked back to Minnie with frustration hinted in her voice. "Private Clarabelle and Daisy have informed me of all the interactions you have had with him. I may have let them slide, but you have just demonstrated that you have put him above your duties and even above your health."

"But you don't understand!" Minnie knew she shouldn't be fighting this issue, but her point had to be made. There was no regret over the choices she had made, and if given the chance, she would still try to warn Mickey. If Amelia knew Mickey like Minnie did, she'd know Mickey was different. Yet there was no way to put how she felt about Mickey into words, and she could see Amelia's patience was growing thin. "Mirage said she was going to kill him, what was I supposed to do?"

"Nothing." Amelia turned her back towards Minnie. "All pirates are doomed to execution the moment they commit their first act of piracy. The N.A.V.Y. does not interfere in fights between outlaws." She heard a faint 'But' coming from Minnie, and spoke with increased vexation. "If I find out you have continued to remain in contact with Captain Mickey, you will be dishonorably discharged from the N.A.V.Y." After that, she heard no argument. Amelia headed toward the door, still not looking at Minnie. "Don't disappoint me, Private Minerva."

Minnie stared at the door long after Amelia left, with the words 'dishonorably discharged' ringing in her head. Though she was to leave the N.A.V.Y. at the end of the year, to leave any sooner was enough to make tears form in her eyes. It would be a shame that everyone knew about it, and there would be no recovery. Yet to never see Mickey again carried just as much sadness. The year was half over, and in the six months she had grown closer to Mickey, she never thought an ultimatum between her two greatest sources of happiness would be this dangerously close. She quietly lay down on the bed.

She couldn't bring herself to be mad at Amelia, for her points were accurate. It was the job of the N.A.V.Y. to arrest pirates and have them executed. But the more Minnie thought about it, the worse off she felt. Not only did she want to keep Mickey alive, but she didn't want Ortensia to die either, or Oswald, or Pete, or anyone on Mickey's ship. There was an entire ship of pirates she wanted to keep alive, and the more she hung onto that belief, the worse she was doing at her job. She had joined the N.A.V.Y. as part of a proud family tradition, and had always believes the innocent people of the kingdom needed protecting. But no one needed to be protected from that ragtag bunch of misfits.

She was in a black and white world and all she could see was gray.

* * *

><p>Donald had been asked by Ms. Beakly to help out over at his uncle's mansion, and wound up staying there for so long that he slept there overnight. One of the perks about being unemployed was that he could sleep as late as he pleased. This was not the case the following morning, when a body grabbed him by the shoulders and proceeded to shake him awake. "Get up, Donald! Get up, we have to go!"<p>

Donald opened his tired eyes to glare at Beakly, who continued to shake him even after he was up. "I'm up, I'm up! What's going on?"

Beakly let him go and then kept going back and forth between his bed and the door in an absolute panic. "It's Mr. McDuck! He just called, he's at Miss DeSpell's home! He's holding a news conference!"

"What?" Donald was out of bed the very next instant, grabbing dropped clothes from the floor and hurriedly putting them on. "Get the carriages out… and lock up Goldie's shotgun!"

In a matter of minutes, Donald, Beakly, Goldie and Ducksworth all shoved themselves into one of Scrooge's carriages and raced towards Magica's mansion. Beakly weakly explained to Donald that Scrooge had called but only stayed on for less than five minutes, only saying that he was at Magica's mansion and that he'd be holding a news conference to explain his absence. He didn't even give the one who got the message, Ducksworth, enough time to ask anything before hanging up. Goldie's gun had been relinquished, but she still looked ready to spill blood with her bare hands. By the time the carriage arrived at the black mansion, there were already reporters lined up around the block, taking pictures of the two that now stood in front of the mansion.

Magica stood tall and proud, one hand firmly on top of her staff, and her other hand being held by Scrooge McDuck. He was unharmed and strangely quiet, a distant gaze in his faded eyes. Goldie remembered seeing the same odd discoloration in his eyes the last time they had spoken, which is why she didn't immediately run up to strangle him. She and the other three stepped out of the carriage, trying to hear above the flashes of light bulbs and loud questions of the reporters. Magica waved a hand to try and get the reporters to quiet down, and then squeezed Scrooge's hand to signal him to speak.

"Thank you all for coming," Scrooge's voice was distant and monotonous, and not a drip of emotion could be felt from his words. "And let me first say I apologize from the bottom of my heart for my absence. At that time, I was suffering from anxiety, and in a rush of bad decisions, I left my home and took an impromptu vacation. I needed to get away from my life for a little while. Miss DeSpell was kind enough to let me stay with her until I was confident enough to show my face again. However, from here on, I will be staying here with Miss DeSpell, and I will be leaving my home in the hands of my nephew, Donald Duck."

Donald could spot a lot of things wrong with that explanation, and one of the biggest things was the fact the mansion was left to him. Scrooge didn't even trust Donald to make him tea! He and his group began to make their way through the crowd of reporters, many of the news writers shouting why Scrooge was staying there. Scrooge held up Magica's hand to make it seen by all. "Miss Despell and I are engaged. Our wedding will be in the fall." On Magica's hand was a beautiful diamond engagement ring, and the photographers spent almost all of their film in taking pictures of it. Magica beamed at all the attention, and pressed her side closer to Scrooge.

"_Scrooge McDuck_!" The reporters in the front of the crowd were pushed aside by Goldie, and no one dared to get in her way. "You can't be serious! You were engaged to me, you greedy old idiot! You can't just change fiancés willy nilly!"

Magica was visibly startled by Goldie's presence, and automatically began walking backwards, making sure her front door was open. Scrooge stayed the same, not letting go of Magica's hand. "I thought I made myself perfectly clear the last time we spoke, Miss Gilt."

"_Miss_ Gilt?" Goldie was shaking in her fury, fists clenched, and everyone near her began stepping away to get to a safer place. "You've never called me that in your whole miserable life! I remember what you said to me last time, and I also remember what you told me when you asked me to marry you!" She held up her hand, and showed off her engagement ring, which was much less fancy than Magica's. "You told me that you didn't want to waste anymore time, and wanted to spend what little time you had left with me! You told me I was the one treasure you couldn't buy! You told me you loved me, and I still love you, you wretched coot! It's you who needs to start remembering!"

Scrooge didn't flinch for the entire speech, but then, for the faintest of moments, a splash of color returned to his eyes. He then collapsed onto his knees, clutching his head and groaning quietly. Magica fled to his side, holding him close. "This is over! He's having another anxiety attack…" She helped lift Scrooge to his feet, and began to push him inside the mansion. "Get inside…"

Goldie tried to march up the stairs, making an airy grab for Magica. "I ain't done with him yet!"

"Oh yes you are!" Magica slapped Goldie's hand away, standing in front of the open doorway. "You've had your chance, and he's made up his mind! You are trespassing on private property, and if you don't leave, I will have you arrested!" She stepped back into the mansion, and slammed the door. The reporters then seized on Donald and Goldie, plaguing them with questions about what just happened. While Goldie had plenty to rant about, Donald was at a loss for words. There was no way the man that stood on that porch was Scrooge. He tried to make his way back to Beakly and Ducksworth, who were just as flabbergasted by the turn of events.

Fiona Rapson happened to be in the crowd, and she asked the only question that Donald had an answer to. "Mr. Duck, what in the world is going on?"

Donald opened the door to the carriage, trying to urge Goldie to get back inside while answering Fiona. "… I have no idea… but I'm going to find out!"

**End Of Chapter Twenty-Two.**


	23. Cancelled Versus Replaced

My apologies for the shortness of this chapter, I've been very ill. Hopefully future chapters will be longer. I love you, Lies!

* * *

><p>Several days after Mirage had been locked up on Mickey's ship, it was decided that Mickey would be the one to take her to the N.A.V.Y., since he felt he couldn't trust the major partners in his crew to deliver her without beating her to death. He was positive he wouldn't do the same, again, but he also wanted to see if she would crack and speak anything about her employer on the way there. After stealing a fancy carriage, he donned an upper class appearance, much like when he had crashed Mortimer's party the first time. Mirage had been shoved into the carriage, and Mickey quietly tugged on the horses' reigns to get them going. No one paid them much attention as they strolled through the streets. Since Mirage was silent on the ride there, it gave him time to think.<p>

Doctor Teeth had told Mickey details about Minnie's wound, remarking that had she not been found in time, she would have bled to death. It was sheer luck that had saved her. Though Mickey was a fan of fate and destiny, he didn't feel that she could be so lucky again. What would happen the next time someone went after Minnie? Mirage had made it clear there would be a next time, so long as he kept pursuing her. The mental image of Minnie bleeding made his stomach churn.

He still couldn't fathom the why behind the assault. If someone from the N.A.V.Y. disapproved of their relationship, then they would have solely gone after him. Who benefited from Minnie's death? All of these questions spun around in his head and distracted him from where he was going. The horses went at a slow pace, allowing a silent figure to casually walk up beside the carriage. This man was walking two twin Siamese cats on leashes, which was an unusual sight but nothing that held anyone's attention for long. The man gently tugged on the leashes, and the cats began to walk faster.

One cat then jumped and used its claws to cling to the carriage door. It very quickly began to climb up toward the locks on the door, and used its nails to pick it. The other cat crawled near the horses, and then jumped up on one of the horses back to begin clawing at the reigns. This got Mickey's attention, and he stood up, trying to tug the reigns back. "H-hey! Knock it off! Bad kitty!" The cat wouldn't obey, so Mickey abandoned his post to try and grab for the frisky feline. By the time he got on the horse that the cat was assaulting, the cat jumped onto the other horse, and then scratched the horse Mickey was now on. Mickey's horse whinnied in pain, and with its reigns shredded, it began to gallop away, taking a startled Mickey with it. He could be heard swearing down the street, looking both comical and confusing for anyone who looked.

When the carriage door was unlocked, the figure swung the door open, and walked inside. "Good to see you again, Miss Mirage."

Mirage's ears picked up on that voice, and she stared at the looming dog dressed in rags and hoods. "Blackheart Beagle!" She put the pieces together in her mind, and although she smirked, her voice wasn't friendly. "I thought you stopped getting involved in your family's problems. Are all the Beagles working for her now?"

"We go where the money's good. But I'm not here to explain family business." He climbed into the carriage and closed the door behind him. "You went off grid, Mirage."

"How was I supposed to know Amelia would interrupt?" Mirage tried to stand up, but Blackheart's rough hands grabbed her by the shoulders and made her sit down. Mirage squirmed in his grasp, trying to explain herself. "Minerva would have died if Amelia hadn't shown up. Next time, she will be alone, and she will die!"

"There won't be a next time." Blackheart grabbed Mirage by the hair, and yanked her head backwards. "The boss knows all about your little plans with Amelia, and says it's bad for business. You weren't doing things according to her plan. You know how she works… focus on anything more important than her plans, and you're no good anymore." He then slammed her head against a wall, twisting his hand in her hair. "So you're going to the N.A.V.Y. peacefully… and you won't say a word about who hired you, no matter what kind of deal they offer."

Mirage was in pain, but she was not afraid. This was nothing compared to the barrage Mickey had given her days before. She managed to turn her head to face her attacker, still defiant. "I hardly think you'd tell me this with only a please. What's my punishment if I don't keep quiet?"

Blackheart grinned and tan a thumb across his neck. "Your one eyed freak meets his end. Are we clear?"

Now terror came to Mirage, her face paling. She launched herself at Blackheart, although the chains around her wrists prevented her from grabbing at him like she wanted. "No! She told me she let him go! She told me she would leave him alone!"

"She lied."Blackheart easily pushed Mirage off of him. "It's what she does." He paused as he heard sirens off in the distance, becoming closer by the second. "That must be the N.A.V.Y, hearing about a public disturbance." He should know, he made the anonymous call before the attack. He opened the door and whistled, summoning his cats to his side. "Just keep your mouth shut, and he'll get to keep his eye open." He walked out of the carriage and calmly walked on the sidewalk, looking like a lower class man out for a late stroll. He smiled pleasantly to everyone who passed him by, taking pleasure in the memory of Mirage's horror. It wasn't every day he got an assignment that was so much fun.

By the time Mickey managed to get control of his horse and ride back to the carriage, it and the prisoner were gone. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Mirage's employer had been behind this. Looking at the empty space where the carriage just was helped confirm the painful decision he knew he had to make. He gently urged his horse – which he decided to keep, and named Achilles – to take him back to his ship. There was work to be done.

* * *

><p>It had almost been a week since Scrooge had returned, but to Donald it felt like a lifetime had passed, due to how much he and the remaining staff of the mansion had to control Goldie. Some days she'd grab her shotgun and try to sneak out of the house, while other times he'd accidentally stumble upon her wordlessly crying in a corner. Ducksworth firmly believed that Scrooge was in love with Goldie, and Donald was inclined to believe him, but the recent engagement with Magica was making everyone's head spin. They all tried to call Scrooge and visit Magica's house, but each attempt was met with refusal and dismissal. Magica insisted Scrooge wanted nothing more to do with any of them.<p>

He felt relief when he got an unmarked letter from Launchpad, telling him to meet up at the Justice Ducks hideout. After making a fib to Donna and donning his PK disguise, he made his way to the bridge. It had been a long time since the Justice Ducks last met up, no doubt thanks to the disappearance of its leader. There had been no sign of Darkwing, Morgana, or Gosalyn since Magica publicly demanded their arrest. Donald was sure that they were all right, but a little proof wouldn't hurt. However, after he tumbled down the stairs to the hideout, he lifted his head and only saw Launchpad.

"Hiya, PK!" Launchpad was all smiles, sitting on an old chair and propping his legs up on the table. "Long time no see! How've you been?"

"Peachy." Donald slowly stood up, smoothing down his outfit and adjusting his hat. "My ex-girlfriend is living with me, I haven't seen my fiancé in weeks, my kidnapped uncle came back but won't see me, and I have to keep tabs on a trigger happy scorned bride. How've you been?"

"Just fine, thanks!" Launchpad moved his feet off of the table. "And I've got great news about DW!" He patted the chair next to him, inviting Donald to sit down. "He's managed to send me letters about what he's been up to." He picked up one of the letters off of the table, tapping on the envelope. "Fake names, fake addresses, and the whole thing was in code. I got my friend Gyro to help me understand just what he was saying." He pulled out the letter from the envelope. "First off, they're out of the country."

Donald looked at all of the letters sprawled out on the table, relieved to know that Darkwing and his girls were all right. "They'll probably have to lay low for a long time." He picked and sorted through the letters, trying to read some while Launchpad talked. "What'd they do after Magica told the world they were criminals?"

"Well, DW and Morgana got married."

Donald stopped sorting. Surely he didn't hear that right. He tried to find all the words that rhymed with married, because there was no way he heard that. Maybe he said carried, or harried, or anything else that would not say the big purple dressed idiot rushed into marriage with the woman who had nearly gotten him killed. "…They got what now?"

"DW and Morgana got married." Launchpad didn't notice Donald's shock, and slid out a photo from the letter. There stood Drake in a tuxedo, Morgana in a black wedding dress, and Gosalyn in a white flower girl dress making funny faces at the camera. "Though they kinda couldn't do it legally, what with them being outlaws and all, but he said it's the thought that counts."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Donald smacked both of his hands to his temples, feeling his temper get the better of him again. "My old uncle has two fiancés, Minnie had four guys after her, and now Darkwing's hitched? Meanwhile I haven't seen Daisy in forever, and who knows when the wedding will be! That's not fair, I tell you! It's not, it's not, it's not!" He continuously slammed his fists down on the table, ranting and raving until he got the childish screaming out of his system. Launchpad decided not to tell Donald about all the future family plans Darkwing had detailed out.

When Donald had run out of breath to holler any further, Launchpad felt safe enough to continue and skipped to the important part. "Anyway, the three of them are going to Italy. He figures if no one will fund an expedition to see what Doctor Thatch discovered, he'll do it himself."

Donald frowned, allowing common sense to take over the rest of his anger. "But it's been over sixty years. Is there going to be anything left to find?"

"There's only one way to find out." Launchpad's eyes went back to the letter, wanting to make sure he got the next part right. "He's also given us some instructions. Too bad I can't write back, or I'd tell him what happened to Minnie, but maybe we can do her job."

"Knowing her?" Donald imagined the scenario in his mind if they didn't tell Minnie about her part of the job, and the fit she'd throw when she found out. It would not be pretty. "We should probably tell her anyway. What does he want us to do?"

"For starters, we gotta keep an even closer eye on Magica and her group, and make sure she doesn't find out about DW. He also wants us to start looking into pirate activities. He's sure that we can find someone who will spill the beans about Magica employing them." Launchpad tapped the letter to his beak in contemplation. "I'm glad he's sure, but I dunno how to make pirates talk. I'm not exactly high on the funds."

"That's where Minnie comes in!" Donald felt suddenly gratified and relieved that Minnie was a part of her group. "She's got that crazy connection to Captain Mickey. Even if he won't open his mouth, she's got to be able to make one of the guys on his ship crack. She's our way in." The image of angry Minnie turned to one of delight, and he admitted to himself he'd be glad to make the friend of his fiancé happy. Despite Minnie's constant failures, Donald knew Minnie was a good girl, and this was her chance to prove it. "His ship can go in the air, on and water, and underwater. No other ship can do that. But Magica's company is top notch in technology, and there's no way to prove that wasn't the first ship of its kind she had built!"

Launchpad didn't appear to understand where Donald was going with his theory, but nodded along anyway, glad to see Donald's enthusiasm. "Sounds like DW is gunna have plenty to be proud of when he gets back. I'll keep letting you guys know whenever he sends a letter." He folded the letter in his hand. "You're really getting the hang of this whole hero business, PK."

Donald smirked, not wanting to show how the compliment had humbled him. He had failed at every other job he had applied for, but maybe being a vigilante was his true calling all along. "I'll find a way to talk to Minnie. We've got a lot of pieces, we just need to find how they're all connected." He glanced back at the letters on the table, remembering how close he had come to solving more mysteries the night Donna had come to his home. "A missing research team… a powerful crystal… mad scientists… an ancient civilization… and my Uncle under her command. They're all related somehow."

Launchpad took a moment to listen to how it sounded. "Gee, kinda sounds like a wacky sci-fi novel."

"Don't be stupid, Launchpad. This is reality."

* * *

><p>Minnie's home was a simple little house that nestled in the suburbs of the great city. Her parents owned plenty of farmlands that her father would travel to each and every day. Minnie loved her home and loved seeing her parents, but this entire week of rest had bored her out of her skull. She missed the adventures the N.A.V.Y. brought, and longed to seek out the Justice Ducks and try to aid them again. Her only salvation was her body guards, Daisy and Clarabelle, who were more than happy to stay and gossip with her. Daisy tended to rant about the audacity of Donna, and the girls would try and reassure her that Donald was loyal.<p>

It was the last day of Minnie's assigned rest, and the trio was on her front porch, enjoying a soothing cup of tea under the fading sun. While Minnie was dressed casually in lace, she tended to glance at Daisy and Clarabelle's uniforms and sigh in envy. "I hope the doctor comes as soon as possible tomorrow." She lamented as she added yet another spoonful of sugar to her tea. "I want to get back to work. I feel just fine."

"I'm sure he'll say you're okay." Clarabelle sipped from her cup, and Daisy nodded in agreement. "It'll definitely be nice to have you back again. It's just so boring without you around. I'm running out of people to share the best news with."

"If you ask me," Daisy knew she hadn't been asked but as always that mattered little to her. "Captain Amelia is the one who should be resting. She has a kid on the way, but she's taking charge of this whole investigation with you and Mirage and Mickey. That can't be good for her health." An uneasy silence followed, for different reasons among the group. Though Minnie had been given information by Clarabelle and Daisy, the girls hadn't told her they started looking into Mortimer and his finances. Nor had Minnie told them about the ultimatum thrust upon her, forcing her to choose between chasing Mickey and the remaining time she had as a private. Even after coming all this way, they still found they had to hide things from each other.

Clarabelle was more than happy to change the subject. "I still can't believe she's going to be a mommy. Can you imagine? That's going to be the toughest little tyke ever." It did the job, and her friends began softly giggling at they imagined a strict toddler taking over playgrounds.

"I can't wait to have children!" Daisy put down her cup so she could pantomime. "I'm going to have lots of cute little girls, and they'll have the prettiest dresses, and we'll play house and have tea parties every day." She then playfully tugged on Minnie's spitcurl. "Maybe I can use you for practice?"

Minnie laughed and pushed her friend's hand away. "I'm not that small! But I bet you'll make a great mother, Daisy."

"Of course." Daisy then smirked, cupping her face in her hands to look at Clarabelle. "And how about you? Wouldn't Horace be a great daddy?"

Clarabelle dropped her cup but managed to catch it in her hands. Blushing brightly, she delicately returned the cup to the table. "Don't you start that again! I… I don't even know if I want kids. With anyone. And Horace could be a great dad if he wanted to be, but I wouldn't know. It's not something I've thought about." Her lying expression only grew redder, and the girls could have sworn even Clarabelle's horns were getting in on the blush. "Uh… what about you, Minnie? Has Mortimer ever mentioned kids?"

"Not really." Minnie stirred her spoon absently. "But I'm sure it'll come along." It was to be expected of her, and of every girl her age once marriage came. Marriage and motherhood went hand in hand. She had never given too much thought about motherhood, and she tilted her head trying to come up with a future of bearing Mortimer's children. It made her mouth cringe. "… And… well…" She struggled to come up with a happy addition to her future, and found that motherhood was actually an enjoyable thought, as long as Mortimer wasn't a part of it. "I think I'd like a little boy. Or maybe have some girls first, so he can have big sisters. But I definitely would like a boy." She pictured the little mouse in her mind, with plump cheeks and cheerily calling for his mother. "And he'd be just wonderful. A perfect gentleman, and he'd help me in the gardens."

"The spitting image of his father?" Daisy asked, trying to make sure Minnie would never suspect what she and Clarabelle were doing about Mortimer.

Minnie nodded without thinking. In a split second in her mind, the word 'father' became associated with Mickey, and she could see Mickey scooping up a smaller boy with his likeness, carrying him on his shoulders. It was an adorable scene, and it made Minnie bury her face in her hands. "Get out of my head!"

Daisy and Clarabelle exchanged a knowing look. They didn't even have to ask. Throughout the week they had guarded Minnie, Mickey had accidentally slipped into their conversations several times. Daisy tried to find a way to soothe the talk. "He's… really gotten a hold of you."

"It's not like I wanted him to!" Minnie was quick to protest, lifting her head and looking back and forth between her friends. "He just… he just has this way of bothering me even when he's not around! He's driving me crazy! I think about him, I talk about him, I'm even starting to see him around!" She waved a hand to the street in front of them. "Even now, I can see him riding around on a horse, like some sort of prince!" Her mind was working overtime, because that image came with audible hoofbeats. The girls paused, and then all three of them looked at the street.

It turned out Mickey actually was riding a horse, the same Achilles as when his carriage had been assaulted. He had actually grown to enjoy the ride, and was valiantly waving his sword around as he rode on. "Tally-ho!" Several of his men were also riding stolen equines, galloping after him and down the street.

"Huh." Clarabelle watched the parade of insanity pass on. "What're the odds?"

"Knowing Mickey?" Minnie stood up and out of her chair. "Not that big. Let's go, ladies!"

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Go? Go where?"

"After him!" Minnie pointed in the direction Mickey and his crew had headed towards. "They're not here just to show off, they're going to go and commit crimes! We can't just let them get away with it!" This was definitely not a violation of Amelia's rule. Amelia had warned Minnie not to go after Mickey once Minnie was back on the job, but right now, Minnie wasn't on the job. Loopholes were marvelous things, though Minnie ignored the fact every time she found out they never worked out for her.

Clarabelle held up two fingers. "Two things, Minnie. First off, you're supposed to be here resting, you're not on duty. Second off, we were assigned to be your bodyguards, we can't leave your side. We'll just call the N.A.V.Y. base and let them take care of things."

That would take far too long for Minnie's satisfaction. Grimacing, she grabbed her dress, and began to run down her wooden steps. Daisy tried to make a grab for her arm but missed. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"You have to stay by my side?" Minnie yelled back to them, running on the sidewalk, a feat in high heels. "Then come and stay!" Left with little choice, Clarabelle and Daisy abandoned their tea and ran to catch up with Minnie. Many blocks up ahead, the pirates had take siege of an apartment building, with the wealthy visitors fleeing in fright. It was several stories high, so to pinpoint Mickey's location would be difficult. Daisy and Clarabelle intended to stay with Minnie when they arrived, but as soon as they did, several rag tag pirates spotted the familiar outfit and attacked the ladies. Minnie easily slipped out of the scuffle, as she was not wearing the uniform and thus not targeted.

Minnie was an odd sight, a frilly dressed maiden among rampaging pirates and screaming citizens during a high stakes robbery. She calmly scratched her head, trying to figure out how to find the captain. She heard familiar barking, and following it, saw Pluto faithfully standing in front of the entrance doors, possibly preventing the wrong people from entering. Another idea formed within Minnie, and she made her way to the canine. "You're Pluto, aren't you?" The dog looked up to meet her, and recognized her as the fanciful mistress his master prattled on about. He nodded to the question, polite for a pirate pup. "I thought so! Would you mind showing me where Mickey is?"

Pluto frowned, and shook his head. Though he knew this was a friend of the master, he would not be so easily swayed into disloyalty. Minnie was not so easily deterred, and fortunately had brought something along from the spot of tea. She held up a biscuit, with gold flakes and a delicious aroma wafting from it. "There's a biscuit in it for you, if you help me find him!" She said in a sing song manner, hoping to appeal to his baser instincts.

Though Pluto was a well treated dog, he was used to unhealthy snacks and scraps. He slowly looked at the treat being offered, and came to the decision that Mickey would forgive anything he did. Licking drool from his lips, he smiled brightly, and bounced off inside the building. Minnie followed him inside, making sure to duck and weave around all the other invading pirates. It took three floors before Pluto stopped in front of the room, pointing with his snout to the open door. Inside, Mickey was going through an elaborate dresser drawer, pocketing handfuls of jewelry. He had been in the middle of inspecting a pearl necklace when he noticed the eyes on him.

Mickey took one glance at Minnie and Pluto and guessed the worst. He wagged a disciplinary finger to his pet. "Pluto! Ye were supposed ta guard the entrance! Bad dog. Yer grounded. No bones fer a week." Pluto whined, and then grabbed the biscuit out of Minnie's hand, quickly running away with it to avoid further punishment. The mice were left alone, and they looked at each other. Though there was plenty of chaos happening in other rooms and floors, to them the world was quiet. They quietly stared, remembering the warnings they had both been given. Tense knots were tugged in their stomachs.

Minnie shook her head, remembering her loophole, and put her hands on her hips. "Captain Mickey, you're under arrest for trespassing, burglary, robbery, and a million other things I don't have time to name! You have the right to remain silent!" Once again, she found herself without handcuffs, but still believed she could properly arrest him. Now it was his turn to make his move. He probably would try and talk about what happened on the ship, then he'd ask her about her wound, and then he'd flirt with her. It would be routine, and she was prepared for anything.

Yet at the moment, he was taking the right to remain silent. He kept his hands at his side, loosely fingering the pearl necklace. There was something painful in his eyes that Minnie couldn't recognize. Was he hesitating about something? Maybe he thought she was too injured for their usual retort and romp. Giving him another chance, she stepped into the room. "I'm not letting you get away this time. Daisy and Clarabelle are with me, and we're going to arrest you and your entire crew. This is it!" Now he was supposed to flash that cute smile of his, and make some joke about how he only needed her. Maybe dive in for a kiss or a feel, which she'd slap away at a moment's notice.

Mickey quietly tucked the necklace into his pocket, and lowered his shoulders, resting on his decision. "Aye. This is it. I'm done."

Minnie waited, but no witty reportage or perverted pick up line followed. He couldn't still be upset over their missed chance in his bedroom. Even his childishness had its limits. Losing her patience, she took another step forward. "Done? What do you mean?"

"With us. With ye." The pain in his eyes changed to a sharp anger, and he scowled, clenching his fingers. "I'm done playin' with these games. Fun while it lasted, but I gotta stop wastin' me time." He began to walk around her, growling lightly. "Don't gotta worry about me botherin' ye from now on. Won't be happenin' anymore."

The maiden watched him walk, trying to figure out his latest plan. Though he sounded serious, she firmly believed this was another ploy of his. He just never learned when to give up. She made a loud, exaggerated sigh, and crossed her arms. "Oh, what now? You think playing hard to get is going to suddenly make me fall for you? This is your silliest idea yet." She reached to grab his shoulder. "Now you stay right here, so the girls can come and - "

His arm lashed out and snatched her wrist before she could lay a single finger on him. He glared at her, but it was different than all the other times he had ever been angry with her. There was power here, reluctance seethed with frustration, and there was small pain in his grip. "I said I'm done. Bein' with a N.A.V.Y. girl is just askin' fer extra trouble. Just go yer way, and I'll go mine." He let her go, but knew he needed a final, giant nail to seal this coffin. He leaned in, menacing, and snarled each word. "I never wanna see yer face again_, Private_." He backed away from her, and left the room.

Minnie stood there, staring at the doorway. This latest game of his wasn't funny. She waited a minute, expecting him to rush back in tears, hugging her tightly and apologizing for this stupid ruse. When he didn't, she grabbed her dress, and ran into the hallway. He needed to stop playing. "Mickey!" She saw him walking down the hallway, heading for a window. "Mickey, you come back here!" He was supposed to turn and smile at her, give her a winning wink and assure her he had only been kidding. But he wouldn't turn around.

"This isn't working, Mickey!" Why was he so desperate to keep up this charade? He didn't mean any of what he had said, he couldn't have. "You're not fooling anyone! Come back here and fight me!" Mickey picked a window, and opened it up. He took out his yoyo, and began to tie it to a nearby storm drain, intending to slide down it. He stood on the window sill, but felt his jacket being tugged by his persistent pursuer. "You're not still mad about what happened on your ship, are you?" She continued tugging, demanding that he look at her. "Stop being so childish! Nothing would have happened anyway!"

He grabbed his jacket, and yanked it out of her grasp roughly enough to make her sit on the floor. "Why can't ye get it through yer skull…" His body shook, and his teeth ground together. "I'm tellin' ye what ye always wanted ta hear. The truth." He turned halfway, and shouted at the top of his lungs, gripping his yoyo so hard that it threatened to crack under his fingers. "_I don't love ye!_ I've _never_ loved ye! Ye were a good piece of tail, but I'm tired a chasin'! Stay out of my way, ye… ye pathetic excuse fer a girl!" Not wanting to see how she would react to the daggers of words, he jumped out of the window, using his yoyo to slide down.

When he reached the ground, many of his men were celebrating their haul, getting on their horses and ready to leave. Ortensia was among them, and she merrily slid up to his side, wanting to show off all the good work he had done. "Ye picked a great place, Mickey! I got enough gold to last me 'til I'm old and gray!" She stuck out her hands to show off the gold earrings she had plucked, but Mickey wasn't looking at her. He didn't seem to be listening either. He kept his face down, and his mouth was trembling. Ortensia poked his shoulder. "Brother…?"

"Back to the ship." Mickey mumbled, and pressed a hand to his eyes. "Everyone… back to the ship." His voice choked, and Ortensia slowed down as she followed him. He sounded as if he had been on the verge of tears, but that was ridiculous. Maybe he was injured. She shrugged it off, and called ahead, informing the others that it was time to go.

Daisy and Clarabelle had been outnumbered, but had also managed to at least defend themselves during the whole disaster. Once the invaders were gone, they dove into the building, hoping to find Minnie safe and sound. When they arrived at the third floor, they found Minnie sitting on the floor, staring at an open window. They saw her from behind, but for the most part she looked unharmed. The girls relaxed, and Clarabelle headed for her. "Minnie, you scared us half to death! Are you all right?" Minnie said nothing and didn't. Maybe she didn't hear her name being called. Clarabelle knelt down behind Minnie, and tried again. "Minnie?"

"Clarabelle." Minnie turned her head very slowly, almost mechanically, facing her friends because she was supposed to. "You were right. It was all head games." She smiled at the cow, knowing Clarabelle would feel liberated that she had been correct all along. Clarabelle didn't feel any such pride. Instead, she felt worry, and confusion, wondering why tears were spilling down Minnie's cheeks.

**End Of Chapter Twenty-Three.**


	24. Chances Versus Choices

As my editor becomes smarter for every day of school she attends, I become more blessed every day to know her.

* * *

><p>Minnie had been allowed back into the N.A.V.Y, and the days following her return went normally. She stayed out of trouble, and followed every assignment without complaint. Daisy and Clarabelle tried to keep by her side whenever possible, still worried by her wound, but they were given very little cause for concern. By the end of that week, Minnie had been allowed to go with Daisy and Clarabelle to inspect an abandoned mansion on the edge of pirate territory. It had once been used as a hide out for pirates, and the girls were assigned to inspect it thoroughly for anything left behind that could help future investigations. Additionally, there was word that a foolish high society man wanted to buy the mansion.<p>

It was mid-afternoon when the trio arrived at the mansion, which was old and decrepit. The doors were hanging on by sheer miracles, and the creaky building looked ready to fall apart with a sneeze. Clarabelle grimaced as she looked up at the disaster of a home. "What idiot would want to use this place?"

The front door fell open, and a coughing man entered their vision from within the house. "Well, who needs doors? I want everyone to feel welcome when they get here." Mortimer stood here, waving away the batch of dust that had come from the fall. Someone behind him grumbled but went ignored. "It just needs some TLC. Ten Little Construction crews." He smirked at his own joke, but nobody laughed. He surveyed the empty block the mansion was on, and spotted the confused girls in front of him. "Minerva! What are you doing here?"

Minnie calmly walked up the porch, smiling brightly. "We were assigned to investigate this place! What are you doing here?"

Mortimer smoothed down his expensive outfit, thinking his foolish purchase would make him look smart. "I heard from a very reliable source that this was available. This will be a great place to throw parties. It'll be thrilling, being so close to pirates. And it'll show those ruffians we aren't afraid of them." He offered his arm to Minnie and she took it. "Let me give you the grand tour!" Minnie continued to beam at him as they walked inside.

The man behind Mortimer came out, and walked into the sunlight, shaking his head. It turned out to be Horace, who was shaking his head at the bad choices Mortimer was making. Once he was sure Mortimer was far enough away, he felt it was all right to speak. "That Mortimer's got a few screws loose. Who would tell him to buy a place like this?"

Clarabelle didn't like running gags but knew she needed to ask. "What are you doing here?" Daisy looked curious as well, but a lot of her attention was trying to see in the house and watch Minnie.

"Mortimer hired me." Horace crossed his arms, debating to lean on a wall or not. The wrong amount of pressure could send the whole thing collapsing. "Mock pirates my foot. He asked the A.R.M.Y. for the cheapest guy around to be his bodyguard." He paused, and then with concern looked to the ladies. "By the way… is somethin' wrong with Minnie?"

Daisy glanced back at Horace upon hearing the name. "What do you mean?"

"I dunno." He scratched his head, puzzled by what little he had seen of the mouse. "Somethin' about her seems off. The way she's smilin' and all, it's kinda… what's the word…"

"The creepiest thing you've ever seen?" Clarabelle finished, confident that Minnie couldn't hear them. "We know. Horace, you wouldn't believe what this week has been like! Ever since she's gotten back, she's smiled at everything!"

"What's wrong with that?" Horace raised his eyebrows, knowing that while Minnie's smile looked strange, he didn't see why it was so particularly wrong.

Daisy walked up to Horace on the porch with Clarabelle following behind. "You don't understand. She's been smiling at every single thing. When she stubs her toe, when she gets assigned kitchen duty, and there's no way she would smile at this! This is a stupid purchase, and we all know it, but Minnie's okay with it? I don't buy it."

"Of course," Clarabelle walked into the house. "When we mentioned it to her, she just says nothing's wrong, and keeps on smiling. It's just not right. Something's happened to her and she won't say what."

"I wouldn't say that." Daisy tread carefully on her words, joining Clarabelle inside the miserable mansion. "She did say you were right about Captain Mickey and his head games. How much you want to bet that he broke her heart?"

Horace knelt down and began putting the fallen door back into its proper place. "I thought she didn't like him, what with him always proposin' ta her and feelin' her up and bein' all crazy." As he set the door up, he thought for a fleeting moment he saw someone across the street walking their cats, but they were gone when he blinked. He chalked it up to one of the homeless vagabonds that frequented streets like these, and resumed attaching the door to its frame.

"It's a big, weird, icky issue." Daisy then put a beak to her lips to silence her friends, as she saw Mortimer and Minnie enter the living room, where now all five of them stood. "Minnie! So, uh, what do you think of the place?"

Minnie smiled at Daisy, and it was unnerving in every sense of the word. It didn't look like it belonged on her face, and almost appeared to be causing her physical pain to have it on. "I think with a little sprucing up, it'll be grand." She squeezed Mortimer's arm, gazing up at him with strained affection. "You should thank whoever suggested this to you. It was such a good idea."

Mortimer proudly puffed out his chest, not realizing that Minnie praising him in this fashion was wildly out of character for her. "You bet I will! Why, I'll probably invite Miss DeSpell first and foremost for my next party.

Minnie's smile faltered for the shortest of seconds, but it was back up before Mortimer could take any real notice. "How nice of her. The next party is going to be wonderful."

"Of course it will be, it's my party after all." Mortimer let go of her arm as something came to mind. "You, horse!"

Horace growled as he slowly turned his head to his employer. "Horace."

"Whatever. Come check the fireplace with me." He grabbed Horace by the arm and dragged him along, and once the boys had their back turned, Clarabelle and Daisy ran to Minnie's side. They had seen the smile change shape for that fraction of a second, and wanted to latch onto whatever emotion that held.

"Something wrong, Minnie?" Daisy tried first, leaning in with expectant eyes. "You seemed to be… thinking about what Mortimer said. About him and Magica."

"Oh, that?" Minnie continued to smile, and the more she did it, the more annoyed her friends became. "It was nothing. I trust my fiancé's judgment. He knows what's best, after all!" She batted her eyelashes sweetly, giving off the impression of a lovey dovey maiden who would believe her fiancé if she told him the world was flat. The fact that he was connected to Magica should have set off a bigger alarm, but that would mean she would have to think about things, and thinking would lead her to remembering, and there were things she was inhumanely struggling not to remember. Her smile only got bigger as the inner denial expanded.

Daisy and Clarabelle exchanged worrisome looks, and then Clarabelle gave it a try. "Are you sure about that? You don't think this is one of the dumbest things he's done in a while? And you always are the first one to tell us about the dumb things he does." She trailed off, hoping that Minnie would finish with all the poor choices Mortimer had made in the past.

"Well of course he's made mistakes!" Minnie giggled, sounding high pitched enough to be grating on their ears. "Everybody does. Nobody's perfect. Though Mortimer comes pretty close! Now don't we have a job to do?" She stepped away from her friends, practically bouncing on each foot. "Come along, we want to make Captain Jane happy, don't we?" The girls watched her, at a loss for what to do with Minnie and how to help her. They reluctantly stood and began their job, though they became more invested in searching for ways to make Minnie change her mood than for searching for pirate activity.

* * *

><p>At the same time, Amelia's shoes were clicking on tile floors as she went down a bleached white hallway. The N.A.V.Y. base had a special building designed for interrogation, and though Amelia was still on maternity leave, she had been allowed to take charge of the interrogation going on that day. Uniformed women lined up the hallway and saluted to Amelia as she passed. She didn't look at them, and kept her eyes on the door ahead. The walls were soundproof, and whatever was to be said inside the upcoming room wouldn't be heard outside. To her good fortune, none of the women noticed Amelia's shortness of breath or her hesitation when she touched the doorknob. They were too busy admiring her growing belly.<p>

Amelia opened the door and immediately glared at the prisoner inside. The room was also white, and very bare. A single light was on the ceiling, and a metal table was firmly rooted to the tiled floor. There were only two chairs that were also rooted to the floor, and in one of them sat the silent prisoner. The prisoner sat up straighter when they saw who had entered, with her wrists and ankles chained together. Mirage even grinned when she saw who it was that would interrogate her. "Good afternoon, sister of mine."

Amelia quickly slammed the door behind her in an effort to make sure no one in the hallway had heard that. "Don't even try it."

Mirage's eyes rested on Amelia's stomach. "And you're with child. Congratulations. When should we be expecting the little runt?"

Amelia sat down, and bore her eyes into her half sister. "We will not be talking about my life or yours. We're only going to discuss why you're here. You tried to kill my Private. Why?"

"Not even a please?" Mirage pretended to inspect her nails in boredom. "Such terrible manners, Amelia. What sort of people were you raised by?"

Amelia didn't rise to the bait, knowing Mirage would try and use their families against her. "You and Private Minerva had never met before that day. She was off duty. She wasn't a threat to you. She is no more important to me than any other troop. Why did you single her out?"

"Must everything I do have rhyme or reason to it?" Mirage yawned loudly. "Maybe I was just in the mood. Maybe she tripped and fell on my sword. Maybe I dropped it and it fell into her."

"I am in no mood for games!"Amelia slammed a hand down on the table, trying to force Mirage to at least look at her. "Tell me the real reason why you went after her! If you wanted to hurt me directly, there were closer ways to do it, and you know it! Minerva had nothing to do with what happened to us! Why did you drag her into this?"

"I swear, you have father's temper." Mirage clicked her nails together, and the small noises echoed off the large walls. "And what would it benefit me to tell you? I've committed piracy, I'm sentenced to die. Pirates don't get plea bargains, no matter how valuable our information. It's a beautiful little system you people have set up."

Amelia wouldn't be the first person to say the system was flawed out loud, but she knew it wasn't perfect. Though pirates were despicable criminals, even they had their uses. It was difficult to draw these out, however, since they could only be killed. Whatever information they had would always be lost, because nothing could be given to them in exchange. This was no time to admit Mirage was right, so Amelia pressed on. "I can arrange it so that your execution arrives swiftly… or delay it." Even as she said it, she knew these were empty promises and would be unsatisfactory.

Mirage leaned back into her chair, unimpressed. "Either way, I'm still dead. Delightful options. Besides, we both know it will be a while before it's my turn to be sent to Alcatraz. Until then, I'm going to be very bored." Her face became wry as the threat was established. "And who knows what I might say to those around me, when I'm so bored? I could talk about my family."

Amelia clenched her hands together in an effort to control her temper. "No one would believe you."

"If you really thought that, you wouldn't be here." Amelia looked ready to burst into laughter, taking unhealthy pleasure in seeing Amelia's calmness slipping away. "Perhaps no one would listen at first. But people will get curious. They will start to look into our father, and into my mother. They'll want tests, just to shut me up. The Kingdom of America can do wonders with a strand of DNA."

"And how would that help you?" Amelia's fingers dug into the table. "You will still die! No one is going to take pity on you."

"I wouldn't want it." The cats stared darkly at each other, trying to find the other's weakness and exploit it for all it was worth. "And if it means exposing the truth and ruining everything you stand for, then I will die happy. Your father treated us as if were nothing more than stains on his perfect record. You were given everything and I was given nothing, just because of who we happened to be born to. And now your child will suffer a future of shame, just because who he was happened to be born to. It's only fair."

Amelia closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She longed to reach over and attack her half blood sibling, but that would only cause more trouble. Yet if Mirage meant what she said, she could have started talking about their family before she was led to the interrogation room. Mirage was waiting for the right moment, and Amelia needed to find out when that would be. "… I'll ask you one last time. Why did you attack Private Minerva Mouse?"

Mirage put her elbows on the table and propped her head up by her hands. "Why don't you bring your sweet husband down here sometime? I'm sure we'd get along so well. Oh, the stories we can share."

Amelia bit her lip, but didn't say another word. She rose from her chair, ready to leave. In a way, having Mirage captured made her problems worse. At least with Mirage out in the open, Amelia and her troops could have hunted her down and killed her without anyone taking notice or care. But now Mirage was part of the criminal justice system, and executions needed to be done in a timely fashion. There would be plenty of opportunities for her to run her mouth and share her story.

Mirage continued to speak even as Amelia opened the door to try and leave. "Do drop by again. It's been so nice catching up with you." Even as Amelia slammed the door and stormed down the sound proof hallway, she could swear she still heard Mirage's cackling echoing from every corner into Amelia's mind. The girls aligned on the wall didn't notice any change in their captain, and never would have guessed the rage and crushing sadness going on inside of her. For now, the world was normal.

* * *

><p>At Mortimer's bad purchase, the girls inspected every inch of the mansion to try and find anything that could be useful for future investigations. The most they found was that Horace could be allergic to dust. Throughout the search, Minnie continued to be overly enthusiastic over her future husband, praising him at every turn and smiling in the creepiest fashion. Nothing angered her, nothing upset her, and soon Daisy and Clarabelle became more focused on trying to make her change her expression than doing her job. The night sky was taking over by the time the group finished their inspection, and they were high up in the attic. Clarabelle, as the oldest and the highest ranked among them, felt qualified to declare the day done. "I think we've searched every nook and cranny here, and there's nothing useful in this whole mess."<p>

Mortimer slid his finger across the wall, and rubbed the dust that came up on his fingers. "You ladies are way too paranoid. You think pirates are behind everything. Your lives are going to be a lot better once you leave the N.A.V.Y."

"I couldn't agree more." Minnie chirped with a click of her heels. "I can't wait to leave the N.A.V.Y. and be a housewife. It's going to be so relaxing." She swayed her hands together in a fanciful air, not expecting one of her friends to snap.

"That's it!" Daisy stomped hard on the wooden floors, and everyone paused in retaliation to see if the floor under her would snap. Daisy continued to stomp, with each hard movement sending a flurry of dust into the air, and marched up to Minnie, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I can't stand it anymore! This isn't like you! You never wanted to leave the N.A.V.Y and you've said so since day one!"

Minnie smiled at her friend, not flinching for a second. "People can change their minds."

"You've changed your entire personality, and it's freaking me out!" Daisy began to shake Minnie back and forth by the shoulders in a frenzied attempt to knock the fake smile off of Minnie's face. "You need to tell us what's wrong and get back to normal! You don't want to leave the N.A.V.Y. and marry Mortimer, you said those exact words to me and Clarabelle and Millie more times than I can count!"

Mortimer tried to snap his way into the confrontation with an indignant "What!" but was roughly shoved aside by Clarabelle who was eager to join in. "You told us that Mortimer's parties are wastes of time and money and that you hated going to them! You said you wanted to spend the rest of your life in the N.A.V.Y. and be just like Captain Amelia!"

Horace didn't want to be involved in any part of this argument, but with a tiny whiff of the air, he noticed something strange. "Does anyone smell smoke?"

He went ignored as Minnie calmly reacted to her friends outbursts. "That was then, and this is now. Mortimer knows what's best for me, and so do my parents. I don't see why you girls are getting so upset about it." She tried to shrug off Daisy's clasped embrace, stepping backwards. "Let's just all calm down and report back to headquarters."

"Not until you tell us what's really going on!" Clarabelle walked behind Minnie to prevent her escape. "When we went after Mickey that week, we found you in tears! Since then you don't get angry, or sad, or anything at all! It's not healthy! Let it out, let something out!"

"Hey," Horace futilely tried again as he noticed more oddities. "Does anyone feel really warm?"

Daisy grabbed Minnie by one arm while Clarabelle held the other. "What did Mickey do to you?"

"Nothing, really!" Minnie tried to tug her arms back, but only ended up in a tug of war between her friends. "You're making something out of nothing! Girls, you're hurting me!"

"Then why are you still smiling!" Daisy screeched, yanking hard enough on Minnie's arm to send her to her knees. "Knock it off! Tell us what really happened! Right here, right now, tell us how you honestly feel!"

"Stop it!" Minnie shook her head back and forth, still smiling, yet her voice began to crack. Why were they insisting on this pointless questioning? Nothing was wrong as long as she didn't allow herself to feel anything or remember anything. It was better to be in this false state of perfection than to allow herself to accept what had happened with Mickey. Not that anything had happened with Mickey. Nothing did. He didn't hurt her, he didn't trick her, he didn't lie, nothing had happened, and nothing was going on inside of her, and as long as she stayed with nothing, everything was fine. It was better to feel nothing than to feel anything. "Everything's fine!"

"Oooh, no it isn't!" Horace suddenly managed to shout louder than any of the women, after opening the door on the floor for the exit. He had fumbled backwards in horror, pointing wildly down below. "The house is on fire!" That instantly got everyone's attention, and they all looked from where they had climbed into the attic from. They could all clearly see red and orange flames wildly dancing about, and billowing black smoke began to seethe through the wooden floorboards.

Mortimer screamed not unlike that of a schoolgirl. "My house! How did this happen? I don't want to die! I'm too young to die!"

Daisy let go of Minnie, and stood tall, ready to assume command and handle the situation. "Cover your mouths!" She commanded, taking off her jacket and demonstrating how to cover her mouth with it. "Then follow me!" A ladder dangled from the attic entrance, leading downstairs, and Daisy steadily began to climb downwards.

"Is she insane?" Mortimer balked, scrambling to get away from the ladder. "That's walking right into the fire! We'll all die!"

"Move it!" Horace pushed Mortimer hard enough so that he almost fell on top of the ladder, making Mortimer reluctantly comply with the orders and climb down. Horace was about to follow, but he saw Clarabelle frozen in place, staring at her nightmare in living form. Her legs began to shake, and tears brimmed at her eyes. She was suddenly a child again, trapped in the burning barn house, hearing the terrified screams of her friends, and helpless as everything collapsed around her. Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out, and she clutched her ears in an attempt to silence her memories.

Minnie could see this horror completely enveloping her friend, and for the moment, that was all she needed to dismantle her fake persona. "Clarabelle!" She took her friend's hands and forced the cow to look at her. "Stay with me! We need to go, right now!" She spoke with fierce determination, no longer smiling but wearing an expression of trust and focus. "It's going to be okay!"

It was frightening to see Clarabelle in this tearful state. She was normally the leader, the strongest of the group, the one to give directions and lead everyone to the right path. But now she was a trembling wreck, stammering as she flashed between the past and the present. "B-But… it's… it's all around, it's…" It was everywhere, it was going to kill her and kill her friends and it was all her fault. Horace was hurt, and her friends were trapped, and she couldn't escape, she couldn't breathe, and she bent over, wheezing, and everything was black and orange and red and death…

Then familiar arms wrapped tightly around her body, and she jerked her head over her shoulder to see Horace. "It's okay, Clarabelle. Let's go. We'll be with ya the entire time." They stared at each other, not moving until Clarabelle's breathing was at a normal pace. He then gently let her go, but Minnie held onto Clarabelle's hand just in case. They all began to descend down the ladder, with the fire growing more intense by the second. Planks from above were beginning to fall, and the roars of the flames deafened any communication from the group. Once the five were together, they began to race down the hallway, with Minnie refusing to let go of her friend's hand.

They reached the ground floor, and through the smoke and destruction could see the closed front door. Mortimer forced himself to the front of the group in his exhilaration. "I'm going to live!" He ran face first into the door, which didn't budge, and as a result he was sent spiraling onto the floor in a wounded heap. He quickly sat up, rubbing at his sore nose. "What the… why didn't it open?" He stood and touched the door again, but it still wouldn't move. He grabbed the doorknob, and reacted in shock. "It's locked!"

Daisy shrieked, and fled to the windows. "But we saw Horace put it up, it was falling on its edge hours ago!" She struggled to push up a window, but found the same problem. "The windows are locked too!"

Clarabelle screamed, and then Mortimer screamed, and soon even Daisy was yelling at the top of her lungs. Minnie stared at the solid door, feeling sweat pour down her body as her heart beat against her chest. They were impossibly trapped in this old house, doomed to die. Minnie's fingers twitched, as when she had tossed away her fake smile, a flood of real emotions had joined her. Yet she wasn't feeling what she expected. She had thought, once she would let herself feel again, that she would be entrapped by overwhelming despair over what Mickey had done to her. While there was no denying that she was sad, there was a more powerful emotion taking over.

"That… that… that…" Minnie slowly reached down to her belt, thumbing her pistol. "Stupid… greedy… perverted…" In one fluid motion, she whipped out her pistol, and began rapidly firing at the door, barely giving Mortimer any time to duck. "_Piraaate_!" Who did he think he was, flirting with her and then dumping her? Did he think he could steal her first kisses and get away with it? That he could give her an adorable kitten and then call her pathetic, and think nothing would come of it? Their relationship wasn't over! It wasn't over until she said so! She shouted with every bullet, her anger peaking with every shot. "You told me I had potential! You told me I was pretty! You called me turtledove! And then you have the nerve to tell me you're done? We're not done until I arrest you, Mickey!"

Quite quickly she ran out of bullets and was soon shooting empty air, continuing to do so despite the stares she was receiving from everybody. Daisy timidly poked the door that was now full of holes, and it tipped over outside. "Um… good work, Minnie."

"Out of my way!" Mortimer dove out of the building, not bothering to look back when he met the hot air outside. The girls rushed to join him, but while Mortimer continued to run away once he was outside, the girls stopped in front of the house to survey the damage.

Daisy smirked at Minnie, giving her a light nudge to the ribs. "Feeling better?"

"A little." Minnie returned the pistol to its holster.

"Wait a minute!" Clarabelle interrupted the moment of camaraderie as she wildly looked around, realizing something terribly amiss. "Where's Horace? Wasn't he right behind us?" Daisy and Minnie gasped, and though they also looked with Clarabelle, they also saw that Horace wasn't among them.

Daisy then paled as she recalled she hadn't seen Horace when Minnie went ballistic with bullets. "He must still be inside! Minnie, we have to call for help!" But how were they supposed to call anyone, when this entire block was abandoned, and they were on the edge of pirate territory? They sincerely doubted Mortimer was going to get the Calvary, so they were on their own. As they panicked, Minnie spotted a darting shadow across the street, and in a fit of desperation flew after it. Daisy assumed Minnie was off to find help, so she took the same inspiration and scoured the streets for any sign of a working telephone. They assumed Clarabelle would go on her own search for help.

Instead, Clarabelle stood before the blazing inferno, once again frozen in fear. Her stomach was tied up in complicated knots, seeing the young Horace injured all over again, with his back bloody and hearing his moans of pain echo in her ears. This time, their parents weren't around to save them. The house took on the form of an orange monster, with red fangs glistening in the night, devouring Horace and taking away what little happiness she had left. Though her body was warm from the heat, her face was cold with tears, and she had run out of screams. Horace was going to die. He had told her he would be with her the entire time, and he was going to die.

_No, no, no, no, no no no no no no nononononononono_- it repeated itself over and over in her head until it was no longer a word but an endless mantra of defiance. There was no thought process in her brain as her feet took flight towards the monster of heat.

* * *

><p>Horace was dead. At least he was pretty sure he was dead. He was in excruciating pain, lying on his back with a heavy pile of wood on top of him. He knew his back wound was opening up again, and breathing became impossible. If he wasn't dead now, he was going to be in a few minutes. The pile had fallen on him without warning, and hadn't even given him enough time to yell out. He thought it would be ironic to die like this, once again trapped in a fire trying to save the one he loved most. Maybe he'd go to heaven for it.<p>

However, he rather wished not to die right then and there, for he had regrets. There was that one plane he wanted to fix, and he wanted to attend Donald and Daisy's wedding. He had a list full of minor things he still wanted to do, but there was a reigning champion among them. He had never told Clarabelle how he truly felt about her. Despite all the constant denials he'd relay to his friends, it was true that he was deeply in love with her, and felt he had been ever since they were children. He had kept silent to her about this, as the possibility of running their friendship was a fear he couldn't swallow.

Maybe it was better this way. Now she could find a good man who would love her and protect her, someone who wasn't as injured and useless as he was. She deserved someone who could be her knight in shining armor, not the guy who attended to the knight's horse. Still, if he could have one last chance to tell her how he felt, he thought he could die happy. That single release would grant him peace. Even if she could never return his feelings, just letting them out would be enough for him. He closed his eyes, and prayed for that chance to be given. It was all he wanted.

When he opened his blurry eyes, he could make out her familiar image hovering above him. My, whatever deity heard him was awfully compliant! Marveling at how fast his prayer was answered, he steadied his breathing for his last chance. Then, as she came closer, shouting things he couldn't hear, he decided to take things one step further. Since he was going to die, he may as well go out with a bang. His remaining strength was pushed to his head and neck, and when she was close enough, he forced his lips on her mouth, kissing her as deeply as he could make it.

She was softer than all of his fantasies had ever imagined, and he felt satisfaction rushing through his veins. His strength evaporating, his head fell back and away from her, banging against the floor. Was the red on Clarabelle's face her own natural color, or the flames taking over more of his vision? It didn't matter. He smiled at her, and used the last of his air to speak. "C-Clarabelle… I love ya… so, so, so much."

Then the world was black, and he felt his body getting lighter and lighter, being lifted away towards the fluffy clouds above. Everything was all right.

* * *

><p>When Drake Mallard promised his daughter Gosalyn that one day they'd take a family vacation together, he had always planned on taking her to the beach, or perhaps a lovely little mountain retreat. To be fair, Gosalyn thought that trekking through a dirty jungle in the depths of Italy while being fugitives was ten times cooler. She just had a very poor way of showing it.<p>

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Does it look like we're there yet?"

Morgana found their exchanges adorable, and thus didn't mind walking through the mud and carrying ten tons of supplies on her back. They had been traveling for days and still hadn't found any sign of what they were looking for. This was made all the more difficult by the fact that they didn't know exactly what they were looking for. "Drake, darling, how will we know when we are there? If Magica didn't want anyone returning here, she probably made sure there was nothing to find."

Drake tapped his beak, more than eager to show off his brilliance. "I've memorized all of Doctor Thatch's notebooks, and we are in the precise place he and his research group vanished to. We're bound to find something, even if Magica went over this place with a fine toothed comb. If I'm wrong, may lighting strike me where I stand!" He spread his arms out, and defied the gods to doubt his wisdom. A moment of silence passed, and he triumphantly held his chin up. "It's so good not to be the comic relief anymore. Onward!" He proudly took a step forward…

… and the earth beneath him collapsed, sending him falling downward into darkness. He could hear his loved ones calling out his name, and it jarred his mind to quick thinking. He reached for his Gatling gun and shot upwards from where he had fallen. It flew out of his hole and wrapped itself snugly around a tight tree, leaving Drake to dangle above the abyss. Clinging to his gun, he looked down at what he had nearly fallen to, and with the dim rays of sunlight, he could make out shining metal and gigantic. Whatever it was, there were dozens… hundreds… thousands of them!

"Pull me up so I can gloat properly!"

**End of Chapter Twenty-Four.**


	25. Denial Versus Discovery

My editor, Lies? She's got the moves like Jagger, the moves like Jagger, the moooves. Also, my friend Ame came up with the 'smarts' lines.

* * *

><p>Horace was not a very religious man, but he had a few ideas about how heaven was supposed to be. There were supposed to be fluffy clouds underneath him, and a choir of singing angels floating around him. He was supposed to be given his heart's desire, and be in an eternity of peace. So far, he felt a stiff mattress underneath him instead of fluffy clouds, and heard faint beeping noises instead of a choir. Lastly, he was sure that heaven wasn't supposed to reek of the stench of bleach. He opened his eyes, and was surprised to see that he was not in the land of eternal happiness.<p>

He had been in hospitals enough times to recognize that was where he now lay, and a nearby nurse hen paused in her scrubbing of the wall as she felt his eyes on him. She glanced to look at him, and he could make out the name 'Clara Cluck' on her uniform. She smiled at him, stepping back. "Well, good morning! I'll go tell your friends that you're awake. Just take it easy." She collected her cleaning supplies and left the room without another word.

Horace watched the door, and then couldn't resist the urge to smirk. So once again, he had cheated death! He was one of the luckiest fellows he'd ever known. All through his life, he'd been put in life threatening situations, and he'd always come out alive. He wouldn't go as far as to say he was invincible, but it was looking like someone up above was looking out for him. He couldn't wait to get back to the A.R.M.Y. base and brag to his friends about how he had survived once again. He just could not be brought down.

Baloo would probably roll his eyes, and more than one man would give a laugh, and then Horace would have to calm down Clarabelle, and then –

_Clarabelle!_ That one name made him spring up in bed, despite the searing pain that caused his back. _Clarabelle!_ Memories flooded into his brain of when he had thought he was dying, and in his last moments, he wanted to expressions his feelings. _Oooh, Clarabelle!_ Maybe he could have explained away what he said, but he had kissed her too. A combination of such loving efforts couldn't be denied. He had now ruined their friendship forever, and things would never be the same. Seized with panic, he looked the room over in a desperate search for a way to escape.

As he looked, some sense of rationality tried to calm him down. The fire had been very loud, maybe she hadn't heard what he said. Also, maybe he could say the smoke was making him hallucinate. Maybe he didn't really kiss her or confess his love for her. The maybes piled on top of each other, fooling him into a state of calm. He was panicking over nothing, and he'd just worry her more if she walked in and he was flailing over something that didn't necessarily happen. Everything would be all right, and everything would stay the same, so nothing would endanger their precious friendship.

He would have to settle for these weak arguments as the door opened, and Daisy and Minnie all but ran into the room, delighted to see him awake. "Horace Horsecollar, you are going to give us a heart attack someday!" Daisy came to his left with a playful chiding tone, while Minnie took to his right. "How are you feeling?"

Horace eased back into his bed, slightly embarrassed by how much the girls clearly cared for him. "I'm fine, nothin' hurts too bad… so, where's Clarabelle?"

Daisy and Minnie paused, not realizing that Clarabelle hadn't joined them inside the room. All three room occupants looked to the doorway, where Clarabelle was timidly hiding half of her body. With one hand on the doorway, she kept her eyes downward, her cheeks hotly red, and when she spoke, it was an awkward quiet mumble. "…H-Hi, H-Horace."

All of Horace's maybes drowned inside of him. There was no doubt in his mind that what he had done to her, and he blushed just as darkly as she did. He pitifully groaned and laid an arm over his eyes, ignoring the befuddled looks coming from the duck and the mouse. Minnie tried to steer the conversation back on track, leaning over the bed. "Clarabelle managed to get you out of the house. I tried to follow a suspicious character, but all I could see was that he was carrying some cats. The house is done for, but we managed to find some clues that showed someone had locked us up from the outside. Someone was really trying to get rid of us, but we don't know who for certain. Right, Clarabelle?" Minnie looked to the doorway, hoping that Clarabelle would take charge of explaining investigate matters as she normally did.

Clarabelle didn't move. "…H-Hi, H-Horace."

Daisy found she was easily losing her patience very quickly these days, and stormed over to the doorway. "Get in here! We just got Minnie acting normally, we don't need you becoming crazy too!"

"I was not acting crazy." Minnie pouted as she watched Daisy grab Clarabelle by the hand and try to yank her inside. "I was in denial. There's a difference… Clarabelle, let go of the door, you're going to break it!"

Clarabelle had latched onto the door in an effort to stay in place despite all of Daisy's yanking, and the creaking it gave had given Minnie plenty of reasons to be concerned. "I don't wanna go in! I don't wanna!"

"What are you, three?" Daisy dug her boots into the white tiled floor, pulling as hard as she could. "We need to get staments from everyone who was at the fire and report them back to Captain Jane! Also, by the way, _he's your friend_! So get in here and see your friend!"

Minnie watched the strange tug go back and forth before returning to Horace in another attempt to converse. "…So… you were with Mortimer before he got here. Was there anything strange about the purchase?" Horace didn't reply, and instead moaned again, his arm still over his eyes. Minnie knew she shouldn't be too rough with a hospital patient, but this was getting ridiculous. She took his arm and shoved it off his face, and then lightly tapped his cheek. "Horace. Stay with me. I'm fairly sure we're going to get kicked out of the hospital soon." A fact made obvious since Daisy had taken to yanking Clarabelle by the leg as they were yelling obscenities at each other. "Before we do, I need some answers. Did Mortimer tell you anything about that house?"

Horace stared at the ceiling, but managed to compose himself enough to answer his friend. "… I think he said somethin' about that rich woman, Magica DeSpell? Lately he's been gettin' a lot of help from her. He said she's become one of his investors." He paused as a thought came to him, and he turned his head to look at her while avoiding all eye contact with the door disasters. "Say, Minnie, what exactly is Mortimer's job?"

Minnie airily waved a hand as she tried to word it. "He doesn't exactly have a job, per se." Now that she was back to normal, she was more than comfortable enough to lament about her fiancé. She couldn't believe that a day before she had been praising him at every opportunity. It was if she hadn't been in her own body but was outside of it and was watching that awful spectacle. She never wanted to become that creepy woman again. "He has a large inheritance from his family, and since he doesn't have a big family, all the money is directed towards him. He invests his money in stocks and companies, and tries to make more money turn back to him."

Horace knew even less about finances than he did about heaven but something about that explanation struck him. "… Then why do people invest in him? I don't get it. What's Magica and anyone else got to gain?"

Minnie opened her mouth but nothing came out. A sinking feeling developed in her stomach as she realized neither she nor her parents had ever taken the time to look into Mortimer's finances. He had come from a good family and had enough money to take care of Minnie, so little else had mattered. Combining that with what the Justice Ducks had told her about Magica, and Mortimer was starting to appear very suspicious. She frowned in thought. "… I'm not sure. Maybe we should look into that. Girls, after we report to Captain Jane, we should…" She trailed off as she now saw Daisy dragging Clarabelle by both of her legs into the room, while Clarabelle was clawing at the floor. "… Clarabelle, do you not want to see Horace?" Horace immediately flopped his arm over his eyes again and groaned once more.

"It's nothing!" Clarabelle pulled at the floor in an effort to escape Daisy's grip with her voice growing higher pitched in her hysteria. "I-I-I just can't see him right now! Or ever! Or something! I have to go! I need to… walk my dog! My dog needs walking!"

"You don't have a dog!" Daisy ducked her head to avoid being kicked by a flailing foot.

"I have to go walk my cat!"

"Clarabelle, get in here and see your friend!"

"I don't wannaaa!"

Minnie decided that any further interrogation would be fruitless, and that they'd most likely wind up writing a long apology letter to the hospital. Sighing as she watched the insane antics, she found herself longing for the company of Millicent. Millie would have been able to settle whatever was going on between Clarabelle and Horace, and perhaps offer advice on Daisy and Minnie's own ruined relationships. But Minnie knew it would be a long time before she could see her dear friend again, and so could only hope that Millie was happy was with her betrothed. For now, Minnie would have to get started on that apology letter.

* * *

><p>Later that same day, Donald was going through his uncle's office for what had to be the thirtieth time without finding anything new. By now, the crime scene had been neatly cleaned up, and everything appeared normal. Donald had inspected the room from top to bottom in an effort to find any clues pertaining to Magica's sudden rule over him, and had come up with nothing. Frustrated, his temper had been ready to teach its boiling point, but hearing a knock on the door settled his nerves. "Come in."<p>

Ducksworth opened the door and walked in holding a silver tray. The tray had a small kettle, cups, and flavorings for tea. "I thought you might like some afternoon tea, Donald." He would have normally called him by 'Mister Duck', but after spending so much time together, Donald insisted on being called by name, declaring that calling him mister made him feel as old as his uncle. "I take it that your search hasn't turned up any results?"

Donald nodded bitterly, reaching over to take a cup. "I thought maybe I'd find a hint of a motive for what Magica is doing, but my uncle gets rid of anything that isn't worth a penny to him. I'm running out of ideas."

Ducksworth took the kettle and began to pour the fresh tea into Donald's cup. "I'm certain something will come up. With all of us working together, one of us is bound to find a clue."

Donald blew on his tea once it was poured in a futile effort to cool it. "If Goldie found a clue, she'd wind up destroying it. And people tell me I've got a temper…" He was about to drink, but then paused. "Actually, she's been kind of quiet lately…" He looked down at his tea and then gave Ducksworth a cautionary eyebrow raise. "…You haven't been drugging her tea, have you?"

"Absolutely not, sir." Ducksworth began adding sugar to Donald's tea. "I drug her breakfast." Donald wasn't sure if Ducksworth was kidding or not, and was a little afraid to ask. Ducksworth stirred Donald's tea and continued speaking. "However, I decided we could use extra help concerning technical matters. Perhaps your uncle Ludwig could be of assistance."

Donald again couldn't enjoy his tea, needing to speak again, this time in anger and shock. "Ludwig? I know he's a genius, but he's going to drag fifty of his nutty inventions over here! I'll decide when we're desperate enough to need him." He then took a loud gulp of tea, and grew worried when Ducksworth didn't fight his argument. "Please tell me you didn't already call him."

Ducksworth stepped aside, revealing that Ludwig had been behind him the entire time. "Hello, nephew!" There was no time for Donald to react in agonized fear before he was tackled in a hug that spilled his tea all over the floor. "It is always so good to see you! I tried to see Scroogie, but he tells me he doesn't want to see me! I was so upset, you know, I couldn't sleep! But then your good man calls me, and of course I came here lickeity split! I'm ready to help you in whatever way I can, and it turns out there are a lot of ways I can-"

Donald slapped his fingers over Ludwig's beak to stop his constant babbling. "… Thanks, Ludwig." He cast a murderous glare towards Ducksworth, who was now calmly wiping up the spilled tea. "…And how exactly do you think you can help? We've searched this place high and dry, and we can't find anything that would suggest Magica's connection to Scrooge was stronger than any one of his girlfriends. We don't have a motive behind whatever it is she did."

Ludwig ended the hug and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Ah, there's your problem. You're looking in places you already looked. I'm here to help you look in places that aren't there! Just leave it to the professor." He opened up his lab coat, coincidentally not seeing Donald making a 'screw loose' gesture with his hand to his head. He extracted several strange looking tools, and walked up to the only viewing screen in Scrooge's office. "Phones are such great things, ja? Can leave messages, can delete messages… but only the professor can restore what was once deleted!" He lifted the screen upwards, and began attacking the circuit board beneath it.

Donald was reluctantly forced to admit that the idea intrigued him. "You can get back deleted phone messages?"

"Ja, ja, it's quite simple!" Ludwig then went into the most anti-simple scientific detailing Donald had ever heard in his life. He was certain Ludwig was making up half of the technical terms he was using. "… And so after all that, we just gotta narrow down the time frame! We go to when Scroogie was announcing his little proposal plan, and then we only stream calls made from Miss Magica! And there you go." Ludwig stepped back to admire his work, pulling the screen down.

Donald was ready to applaud his uncle's work when a new worry was freshly made. "Is this legal?"

"I won't tell if you don't." Ludwig pressed a button on the side of the screen. "Sit back and enjoy the show!" He stepped back enough to join Donald and Ducksworth, and the screen lit up to life.

Magica was in her office, but the lights were dimmed. She looked the exact opposite of her beautiful and business ready appearance. Her hair was mangled as if she had been pulling at it for hours, and her face was wet with tears. She banged on her desk with her fists, and Donald took an odd notice that her staff was nowhere in sight. "Pick up, Scrooge! I know you're there! Pick up, damn you!" Her body trembled, and her voice was shrieking in octaves that Donald thought only ghosts could make. "You can't do this to me! It's not fair! You can't marry her! Why does she mean more to you than any of your other floozies? Pick up and tell me! She can't just decide she's ready to marry you now! She's had years to do it! You know we're a better match!"

None of the men dared to comment on what they saw. It was more than just a woman scorned before their eyes. Her bloodshot eyes and fervent desk poundings gave way to madness, determined to win against impossible odds. "She only came back into your life to take your money! She's not good enough! I've done everything to make my company rise up after my parents died! What's she done that makes her worthy of you? I should be your wife! It should be me! Me! Me, me, me! Pick up, damn you! You know it's the truth!"

Suddenly the image of Magica began to distort, with fading colors and her voice getting louder and softer at random intervals. Ludwig tugged nervously at the collar of his coat. "…Not a perfect retrieval. It's been a while since I've done this." Donald decided he was better off not knowing who else Ludwig had done this to.

Magica tuned in and out, resulting in gaps in her speaking. "… meant nothing? … won't stand for… not fair! … do I have to… can't do this to me! I won't let you do this to me!" With a loud beep, the image vanished and the screen turned dark.

Donald waited a moment to see if anything else would pass, and then patted Ludwig on the shoulder. "I've got to hand it to you, Ludwig… that was pretty impressive. We just found one of our motives. He meant more to her than she meant to him, and that made her angry enough to…" He let the sentence hang in the air. "… To do whatever it is that's wrong with Scrooge now."

Ludwig puffed out his chest, proud of his accomplishment. "I'm always good at connecting pieces to the puzzles! Except for those really hard puzzles, with the thousand pieces, hoo boy, what is that trying to accomplish? Oh, I know, we should do a puzzle while I'm staying here!"

Donald's smile began to wane. "… Staying here?"

"You betcha!" Ludwig grabbed Donald's hands and began shaking them up and down vigorously. "We gotta all work together to help out Scroogie! I already dropped off my bags with that nice Beakly woman! Oh we're gunna have a good time, all of us, working day and night for Scroogie. And you can all help me out with my new inventions! I've been working on something great, called a TV, though I'm not sure what to make the letters stand for…"

It was fortunate that Ludwig continued to ramble onward with his projects, as it left no room for Donald to snap at Ducksworth that he was getting a pay cut. The butler was already leaving, satisfied with the conclusions drawn from the phone. It cemented his belief that Scrooge would never leave Goldie for Magica, but that made his present state all the more perplexing. What could force him to change his heart? A booming gunshot from the second floor jarred him out of his contemplations, and he paused to look over the stairway. "Ah. Breakfast must have worn off. Time for lunch."

* * *

><p>That afternoon, far away in the Kingdom of America, Millicent was fidgeting in frustration. Though it had been months since she and Goofy had moved into the White House, she still wasn't used to this way of life. Presently, she was sitting in an elaborate dining room that stretched for ages, with servants around her tending to her every need. Ezekiel sat at the head of the table, amused by how worried his future daughter-in-law appeared. Millie eyed the servants as they dusted the room, set up the food, and did all the chores that Millie was so accustomed to doing. More than once she had stood up to try and help an unchecked spot, but immediately another servant would rush over to take care of the matter, so she would have no choice but to sit down and sigh.<p>

This time, she noticed a cup about to fall from the table. She rose up, hands outstretched in an attempt to catch it. "Oh, here, let me -" But once again a servant snatched the problem up, dusting the cup off once it was caught, and then set it perfectly up right on the table. Millie pouted and reluctantly sat back down. "You know, all of you don't have to do everything. I can help out a little."

"It's their job, my dear." Ezekiel spoke gently, placing his hands on the table. "It's what they're paid to do. You don't have to worry about anything anymore."

"That's what worries me." She ducked her head down, ashamed of what she was about to reveal to her very generous future relative. "… I'm sorry, sir. I just… I miss the N.A.V.Y., and being able to help others. It made me feel like I had a purpose in life. And I'm starting to feel like I saw Goofy a lot more when I was trying to fight him, then now when I can actually marry him." She longingly looked at the double doors to the dining room, knowing once again her love wouldn't be joining them for dinner.

Ezekiel raised an old hand, waving to dismiss some of the servants. He spoke once a good number of them had left the room. "I know it's difficult, but now that he is king, he has a lot of responsibilities. There is no such thing as a perfect king, but he is trying best." His expression darkened and his hands knotted themselves together. "… Barnaby left behind plenty of messes to clean up. He was so obsessed with keeping his rule and ensuring that Edna wouldn't return that he lost sight of the people he was supposed to rule over. I should have been stronger, and tried to rein him in, but I let grief consume me. It's my fault the kingdom is in shambles."

"Sir, don't say that." Millie stood out of her seat, and came to his side, placing her hands on top of Ezekiel's. "No one holds your sadness against you. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a child. I know Goofy can handle all of the work." She smiled faintly, and then looked around. Maybe she could let him in on a little secret to cheer him up. "I just want him to be more available soon, because… well, because…" Her cheeks began to pink, and she moved in closer to Ezekiel to whisper into his ear. "Please don't tell anyone just yet… but… I think I'm - "

A far too familiar howl of surprise rang into their ears, echoing off into the entire building. The 'Goofy holler', as it had been dubbed by the servants, always meant that the king had fallen from something high up and managed to get himself into another clumsy mess. Millie abandoned her secret spilling and ran towards the doors, always panicked whenever she heard the holler, even though Goofy was never hurt too badly. Ezekiel didn't mind getting up and following her out of the doors, and the two eventually found Goofy at the bottom of a stairwell, covered from head to toe in books. Millie knelt by the body of books, and began throwing each one off to uncover her darling. "Goofy! Are you all right?"

When his face was uncovered, Goofy smiled sheepishly up at his sweetheart, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Aw, I'm fine… Just fergot how many stairs there were." Once enough books were shoved off, he managed to sit up and rubbed his sore head. "My feet were goin' forward, but my head wasn't with me… I was thinkin' about all the people that came ta see me and ask fer help."

Millie picked up Goofy's fallen crown, and placed it delicately on top of his head. "That's all right… I'm sure you can help all of them out, but don't let it take over your head. You've got plenty of time to help everyone." Her efforts were rewarded with a loving nuzzle to her cheek, and in typical Millie fashion, she responded with deep blushing and burying her face in her hands with a smile.

Nothing would have made Goofy happier than to stay there and continue overwhelming Millie with affection, but one of the fallen books caught his eyes. "Hey, this is what one of the fellas was askin' ma help fer." He picked up a blue colored book that had yellow faded pages, and the cover contained only a single word printed in gold text. "Atlantis." He read it out loud, and showed the book to Millie and Ezekiel. "The guy said he wanted ta continue his ancestor's work. I didn't understand a lot of it… I don't even know what an Atlantis is."

Ezekiel took the book from Goofy gently, flipping through the pages with familiarity in his fingers. "Atlantis… part fairy tale, part history. It's a long story…" He would have left it at that, but now both Goofy and Millie were looking up at him expectedly like children at story time. "Well, you see, there was once this brilliant man named Doctor Thatch. He was an expert in not only the study of the mind, but also devoted himself to solving energy crises and discovering ancient civilizations. A man of all trades, you could call him. But his wife's family said that he was doing strange experiments, and losing his mind." He closed the book, shaking his head. "He thought he found answers to energy in one more civilization, called Atlantis. Everyone in America was on his side, but once he left, he and his team never came back."

Goofy tilted his head, and Millie had to catch his falling crown. "How come?"

Ezekiel began walking to the now empty bookshelf and returned the blue book to its proper place. "No one knows. He believed Atlantis was somewhere in the depths of Italy, but no one ever heard from them again. Ever since then, his family, minus the wife's side, has been asking for our help in funding another team to go there and see what happened."

Goofy finally began to stand, taking Millie's hand so she would get to her feet as well. "And America's never helped him out befer? Why not?"

Ezekiel turned to his face grandchild, unsure of how to address the problem put before him. "To be frank… no one is really sure Atlantis ever existed. There has never been any solid proof, only tales handed down from generation to generation. Even though America initially supported Thatch, hope waned with years of disappearance. Then his wife's family began making sure that if another expedition was ever founded, it'd look like we were supporting a brutalizing madman. It soon became a matter of wasting time and money."

Millie nodded in quiet understanding, but Goofy wasn't settled. His misshapen teeth aligned with his frown, and he crossed his arms as he let his thoughts out. "Just don't seem right to me… there was more ta his family than just the wife's side, right?" When Ezekiel nodded, Goofy became more determined. "Well, than that just ain't fair. They've probably been worried sick a long time… they deserve some answers. Losin' a member of the family is real painful." To this, he looked at Millie, and took her hands in his. "Even if he didn't find anythin', we should at least find out what happened to the guy. Put him to rest and all."

Ezekiel raised his eyebrows, but found no reason to fight against Goofy's reasoning. He smiled kindly, bowing his head in respect. "You are the King, and whatever you say is whatever will be done."

Goofy instantly brightened at what he saw as permission. "Oh, boy! Then we'll get right ta it! I wanna know everythin' about Atlantis before we start searchin'!" He then rubbed Millie's arm to get her involved. "Maybe we can call up yer N.A.V.Y. buddies and see what they know too!"

"Really?" Millie was also perked up easily, and gave her fiancé a tight hug of happiness. "Goofy, you're the best!"

Goofy joyfully returned the embrace, but backed away once it was over, a flash of concern on his face. "And while we're callin' up folks, we gotta get ya ta the docter! Yer gettin' so sick every mornin', like some kinda… mornin' sickness." Set in his decisions, he walked away from the two, oblivious to the stunned face of his grandfather and the embarrassed face of his fiance. It became obvious that Millie wasn't marrying for smarts.

Ezekiel looked at Millie for confirmation, and she sheepishly nodded. "I'm as surprised as you…" She giggled, touching her cheeks. "I didn't think you could get pregnant before you got married!" It also became obvious that Goofy wasn't marrying for smarts either.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen in Italy, but to Drake and his family, the time of day didn't matter in their exploration. After forming a plan and grabbing the right supplies from their bags, they had descended into the hole Drake had made and found themselves in a darkened underground labyrinth of dirt and metal. It was pitch black underground, and sunlight would have mattered little. Thus they each carried a lit torch, and a rope tied them to each other to ensure no one would leave the group and get lost. Though they couldn't see much past their flames, they were able to make out the lines of dilapidated buildings and the remnants of an ancient race. Drake dragged his fingers along a rusty metal wall, marveling at their find. "This has to be the civilization that Thatch was researching… which begs the question, where is the dear doctor?"<p>

"Found him!" Gosalyn piped up, and the two adults stopped in their tracks. "I think… it's hard to tell." She was pointing to a collapsed pile of rubble near her feet, and on top of the pile was a dirty human skull. Upon closer inspection, the rubble was half dirt and half broken bones.

Drake walked up to the pile, and picked up the skull, giving it a once over. He couldn't resist a certain temptation. "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy…" All he got in return was a share of confused expressions. "… Sheesh, pick up a book!" Returning to the plot, he turned the skull over to get a look at the back. "Thatch or not, this guy didn't die of old age." He ran a thumb over the cracked edge in the back. "He was struck with a blunt object, hard enough to kill. Thatch did mention that his group was acting a bit strangely in one of his notebooks…"

Morgana was paying rapt attention, but a noise took her ears, and she held up a hand to her head in an effort to hear it better. "Do you two hear running water?"

Father and daughter imitated Morgana's movement and nodded in agreement. "If my theory is correct," Drake placed the skull back with its remains. "Magica used an underwater boat to get here a long time ago, and dig up something important. Let's keep moving." There was a set destination in Drake's mind. When he had first fallen in that hole, he had spotted thousands of… somethings. He didn't know what they were, but they weren't buildings, and he wanted a better look. If his memory was right, the things shouldn't have been too far away.

The sights became stranger as the trio came to what Drake was looking for. The 'somethings' were large, round egg shaped metal circles, ranging in different sizes, from the height of Drake to being taller than most boats they had ever seen. They had intricate carvings with unintelligible writing, and they were around in a spiral around a special point in the middle of a wide, empty space. In the middle of the space was a golden scepter erected in a small pillar, but the top of the scepter looked to be missing something. The scepter's top was designed to give the shape of thick claws that would cling to whatever was missing in between them. Drake approached the scepter, looking it over from top to bottom. "There are nicks and scratches on these claws… something was forcibly ripped from here."

"What are these things?" Gosalyn tapped on one of the metal eggs, and heard a hollow echo from within. She pressed her ear to the egg, and frowned. "… I think some of these things have water in them."

Morgana held her torch to the same egg, squinting at the carved writing. "… My Italian is rusty, but I believe I can make some of this out." Drake wasn't paying attention, as he had decided to force his attention and strength on yanking the scepter out of the pillar. Morgana traced the writing with her finger. "… Something about power… and the mind… the domination… of humanity…" She paused, trying to make sense of the jumbled words. "… We have become… too dependent on these… too thirsty… for power… and so we leave this place… to prevent the awakening… do not move the scepter from its holy ground." She and Gosalyn heard Drake grunting, and as they turned to see what he was doing, they witnesses Drake pulling the scepter down. "Do not move the scepter from its holy ground!"

A humming click was heard when Drake pulled the scepter down enough so that the top touch the ground, and the humming click was resonated within each metal egg. The writing became highlighted in a glowing purple light, and steam hissed from their tops and bottoms. Drake abandoned the scepter and grabbed Gosalyn into his arms. "We have to get away from these steam punks!" The steam from the bottom of the eggs began propelling each one up into the air, flying them upwards until they hit the land above. They blasted through the dirt, continuing to fly higher and higher until the trio could no longer see them. In roaring moments of steam and land collapse, every last egg was gone. When the land was settled, the three, who were now clinging to each other for dear life, could do little but stare at the gaping holes above them. Drake swallowed hard as he could see specks of stars in the night sky. "… I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that wasn't a good thing."

* * *

><p>That same night, Ortensia was making her way to Mickey's bedchambers, and noticed she wasn't alone. Sighing irritability, she looked behind her to see Oswald following her every step. "Whaddya want now? I need ta go check up on Mickey. He's been actin' like the world's endin' ever since we did that apartment job."<p>

"I know, I know." Oswald easily dismissed the matter, going to Ortensia's side as he felt his problems were more important than Mickey's. "I was just wondering… when are we going to get married?"

Ortensia moaned, running a hand down her face. "Bloody moron! This is the last time I be tellin' ye… we ain't gettin' married! I just told Mickey that so he'd get jealous! All the good that it did…" She arrived at Mickey's door, and tried to listen for any disturbing sounds.

Oswald continued to inquire, not knowing the meaning of the word rejection. "Ortensia… do you like me at all?"

"Stupid question." She said without giving it any thought in an effort to shut him up. "Now keep quiet. If I can't find a way ta snap Mickey out of this, Pete's gunna try and take over the ship. He'll run us inta the ground." She very carefully opened the door, and poked her head in.

Oswald tried again, lightly tugging on Ortensia's arm. "You didn't really answer my question…"

Ortensia had no intention of giving him a straight answer at all because, and this made her increasingly uncomfortable upon realizing, she didn't have one. The first thing she saw in the room was the shadow of her 'sibling', and to her horror, she saw the shadow pointing a pistol at his head. "Mickey, _no_!"

**End of Chapter Twenty-Five.**


	26. Break Versus Broken

Lies owns my heart, patent pending.

* * *

><p>It was too late, and the pistol was fired. Ortensia started to scream, but it quickly began to die, unlike Mickey. The angle of the shadow pointing a gun at his head had turned out to be a trick of the light, and Mickey was actually shooting empty bottles off the top of his desk. Mickey, sitting on his chair with his feet up on the desk, looked over at the stopped screamer. "What?"<p>

Ortensia grabbed her chest in an effort to make her heart stop beating so rapidly. '"Y-Ye… big idiot! Ye gave me the biggest scare!" Mickey shrugged it off, and shot another bottle, shattering it into pieces. Ortensia smoothed her outfit down, and walked into the room, leaving Oswald to watch in the doorway. "What are ye doin'?"

"Shootin' bottles." Mickey felt no need to explain it any further than that. There was no hint of sarcasm or mockery in his voice. There was nothing in his voice at all, just a dead tone that elicited no emotion. He simply spoke, and that was all.

Ortensia carefully walked towards him, wincing when he fired off another shot. "… Mickey, we gotta talk. Ever since the apartment job, ye've been in a big slump. We don't even leave the docks anymore. It's been forever since ye've given anyone a job ta do. Yer worryin' the crew." He wouldn't look at her, so she put a hand on his shoulder. "Pete's been goin' on about takin' over the ship. What's gotten inta ye?"

Oswald shrugged from his place at the door. "He's probably still upset that he broke things off with Minerva."

Mickey's lip twitched for half a second, giving Ortensia confirmation. "What!" She looked back and forth between Mickey and Oswald, unsure of who to ask first, but settled on Oswald. "How would ye know about that?"

"I asked." Oswald shrugged again, deciding for Ortensia's sake he wouldn't point out the obvious fact that many of Mickey's emotions were tied to Minnie. "Besides, remember what Mirage said? As long as they were together, both of their lives were in danger. He probably ended it to keep her safe." He saw it as a noble action, but he'd need that pistol pointed between his eyes before admitting anything nice about Mickey.

Ortensia turned her attentions back to Mickey, elated by the news. "It's about time! We all knew it wasn't meant ta be. Now ye can focus back on the job, and maybe find yerself a nice lass." She leaned in close to his face, hoping he'd get the hint. "Who knows, maybe she's closer than ye think."

Mickey still kept his eyes straight forward, shooting one more time. "… I'm outta bottles."

Faced with his stoicism, Ortensia threw caution, and a good part of her dignity, to the wind. She sat down on Mickey's lap, and threw her arms around his neck. "I know it hurts now, Mickey, but you'll get over her. Ye need a girl who understands ye." She laid her head on his chest, purring to his heart. "Someone who's on yer side. Someone ye've always known. Someone who will always be there for ye." Oswald could easily see all of the flirting, but he wasn't as jealous as he used to be. By now, he understood Mickey and Ortensia's unusual relationship, and knew Mickey could only see her as a sibling and nothing more. There was nothing to be jealous over. It was just a matter of waiting for her to give up.

Mickey pulled the trigger on his gun only to hear empty clicking. "… I'm outta bullets."

Ortensia ground her teeth, and glared up at Mickey, her nails beginning to dig into his clothes. "Have ye been listenin' to a word I've said?"

Even Mickey's blinking looked forced. "… I'm outta rum."

Ortensia's hissed through closed teeth, sitting up straight and looking Mickey directly in the eyes. "Ye… Ye… big, stupid…" If Ortensia joining the crew didn't work, if pretending to like Oswald didn't work, and if straddling him and saying lines that were too cheesy for a harlequin romance novel didn't work, then Mickey was giving her very few options to work with. Years of rejection and frustration with obliviousness burst inside of her, and in a move that she knew she would regret later, she grabbed him by the jacket and forced her mouth on top of his.

Oswald knew he had nothing to be jealous about, but just because you know something doesn't mean you have complete control of it. "Hey, hey, hey!" He speedily ran into the room with the intention to rip Ortensia off of Mickey, but he didn't have to go so quickly. In that same shocked instant, Mickey's eyes regained their lively color, and he fumbled to take her by the arms and push her off. Startled, Ortensia haphazardly fell backwards and off the chair, right into Oswald's open arms.

Mickey scrambled to get out of his chair, and as he wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, his voice was rife with emotions once more. "Wha… what was that?" Emotions such as confusion and disgust, for example.

Ortensia didn't know which was more insulting – that Mickey was so shocked, or that he kept rubbing his mouth over and over as if Pete had just tried to lay one on him. "Whaddya think! I… I love ye, Mickey!" She shoved Oswald away for her, able to stand on her feet and proudly proclaim her affections. "I've always loved ye, Mickey! Ye should've been with me all this time, I'm the one who really cares about ye!"

Mickey began preferring being heartbroken and acting on the smallest of thoughts than to be faced with this out of nowhere proclamation. "… What? Really?" It was unfathomable. Ortensia was talking nonsense. She was his sister, she couldn't possibly love him more than as a brother. It didn't make any sense at all. Why should she feel any different than he did to her?

"Why do ye think I've been lookin' fer yer ship all the time?" Ortensia balled up her fists, demanding that Mickey understand and accept her feelings. "Why do ye think I hate Minnie so much? All those times I followed ye around, sat in yer lap, call ye sweet names, and crawled inta yer bed, what did ye think I was doin'?"

"Quick question," Oswald interrupted, lightly tapping Ortensia on the ear. "Why is it whenever I do any of those things, you call me a stalker and slap me?" Judging by Ortensia's raised hand, she was ready to do exactly that.

"Aye, what about him?" Mickey pointed his empty pistol towards Oswald, eyebrows raised as the contradictions piled up inside his head. "Thought ye were marryin' Oxford over here?"

"Oh come on, now you're not even trying to get my name right!"

Ortensia jabbed her elbow into Oswald's ribs in an effort to shut him up. "I was only doin' that ta make ye jealous! Ye've always been the one fer me, Mickey!"

"But…" Mickey felt dizzy, and went to his bed to sit down. This was too much for him to take all at once. He was now forced to look at every moment he had with Ortensia in a new light, and it made him deeply uncomfortable. She was trying to ruin the family he had always assumed would stay the same. "But yer me sister…"

"Not by blood!" She tried to approach the bed, but Mickey jumped up, and began backing away further. Ortensia's despair at his horror made her temper reach new heights. "Yer actin' like I got a disease! Can't ye at least gimmie a chance?"

"A course not!" Mickey leaned back on his headboard, creeped out by the idea that Ortensia might try to kiss him again. "This is… it's just weird! It ain't right! It's like Oswald kissin' his brothers!"

"Thanks for that image." Oswald mumbled, still reeling from his aching ribs, kneeling on the floor.

Ortensia could have kept screaming about her love for Mickey, and she could have listed all the lifetime examples in which the love should have been obvious. Yet as she watched his eyes and saw nothing of her reflected in them, she knew any further fighting was pointless. Minnie or not, Mickey couldn't see Ortensia as anything but his little sister. She had even managed to blur that precious line, and changed the way he understood her. She had longed to make him think differently of her, and now she had gotten it in the worst way. Tears altered her vision, and a lump in her throat made it difficult to lash out her typical insults. "Stu… Stu…" She couldn't finish it, for Mickey wasn't being stupid. It had been her, all along.

Thoroughly embarrassed and humiliated, Ortensia fled the room, covering her face with her hands to hide herself from the rest of the crew. Oswald mentally made a note to himself to check on her in a few moments, once he was sure she wouldn't stab him. He stood up and watched Mickey climb off of the bed. "Feeling better now?"

Mickey didn't answer him because he wasn't sure. It would be easy to slip back into the nothingness and let apathy control him, but thanks to Ortensia's announcement, his emotions were dominant. "I dunno." He scratched his head, and caught sight of Oswald's sympathy. It irked him to have pity, and he held his head high. "… I mean... I'm fine. I can get over her. No, I mean, I am over her. Definitely." He crossed his arms and tapped his pistol to his side. "Everyone wants me ta be captain again? I can do that. I'm all ready. We can set sail right now."

Oswald's skepticism dripped as he spoke. "Is that so? What's the next job?"

Mickey said the first name that came to mind. "Mortimer Rodawn." He paused, and then nodded, deciding that was as good as anybody. "We're gunna go ta his place and rob him until there's nothin' left."

"Minnie's fiancé." Oswald felt he needed to state the obvious, since it was looking like the obvious was not Mickey's specialty. "We're going to go rob the guy who is marrying the girl you just dumped. That's not getting over her."

"Sure it is." Mickey refused to change his mind, and marched toward the door, ready to announce the plans to the rest of the crew. "I can still hate him." He didn't need to love Minnie to still want to drive Mortimer to the depths of poverty. Why, they were totally disconnected things. The fact that if they took every single coin away from Mortimer would mean her parents would no longer want Minnie to marry him was just a coincidence. He would take no satisfaction in driving those two apart and laughing in Mortimer's face. By the way, he felt like he was forgetting something important. Wait…

Oswald rolled his eyes once he made sure Mickey couldn't see it. Times like this made Oswald feel like he was the smartest person on this ship. But a blow to his ego came when a literal blow to his head occurred, when Mickey threw his gun at Oswald. "When did ye crawl inta Ortensia's bed?" Mickey's announcement to the crew would have to wait until after he was done chasing Oswald all over the ship.

* * *

><p>Summer was taking its leave, and fall brought an early chill. Donald shivered as a cold wind blew, but he did his best to put the weather out of his mind. He needed all of his concentration to scale this building and dying due to shivers was the last thing he wanted. In his continued investigation of Magica and her company, he decided to explore the angle that money could buy. Perhaps money could pay these groups to look the other way when she did illegal activities, or even worse, bribe them to help her. Everyone knew that both the A.R.M.Y. and the N.A.V.Y. owed a lot to the richest members of society, and that they obeyed more orders to the highest bidders than to the government. Donald needed to see if Magica had ever stuck her fingers in either group, just so he could make sure his loved ones were in less danger. That night, with a worn out rope, he was climbing up the N.A.V.Y. headquarters, a tall blue building that commanded respect to anyone who gazed upon it.<p>

It probably would have helped his search if he knew where they kept their financial records. As it was, he was playing guessing games by peering into the darkened windows. Darkwing Duck may have been a master sleuth, but PK the Avenger was still trying on the ropes, both figuratively and literally. He could feel the rope giving way, and if he didn't want to become a stain on the sidewalk, he would have to make a choice of window to enter right then and there. After a quick game of Eeny Meeny Miney Mo, he chose the window in front of him. Darkwing had taught him about the important of a utility belt, so Donald managed to extract a tiny glass cutting knife from his belt, and cut out a circle large enough for him to fit through.

When the cut was finished, he lightly tapped on the circle, and it fell through. He managed to catch it before it could hit the ground, and then carefully slid himself into the room. He placed the glass circle aside on the floor, and let go of the rope. The room's lights were off, so it wasn't easy to tell what kind of room he was in. He could faintly make out desks and stacks of papers, so his first guess was an official office. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that financial records could be found in a place of paperwork like this, so Donald felt proud in his decision.

Reading any of these documents would be impossible in this darkness, so Donald began fishing in his belt again. He knew he had packed a tiny flashlight in there, but unfortunately had also packed more than a dozen other tiny items in there as well. He quietly grumbled as he pulled things out, unable to remember why he put most of them in there in the first place. "Glasses… quills… abacus… dog food… gosh darn it, where's the light?" The second he uttered his grievance, the lights came on in the room. "Oh, that's much better." It only took him the next second to realize someone must have turned them on.

There in the doorway, out of all the women in the N.A.V.Y., was Daisy, her finger on the light switch and one hand on her pistol, ready to draw it out of its holster if necessary. Donald's breath froze in his throat, and he wondered why fate continued to use him as a punching bag. Neither duck said a word, and as more seconds ticked away, Donald understood that she wasn't going to shoot him. Perhaps she was intrigued by the mystique of a masked man. This could work out for him. Maybe, like Darkwing, he could use the charms of a vigilante hero to woo the beautiful civilian.

He could already see the future in his mind. He'd give her his name, and then gallantly leave through the window, leaving her in surprised awe. She'd try to figure out the identity of her masked hero, and they'd have many sordid meetings as they worked together to solve crimes. Her heart would be torn between choosing her fiancé, and choosing this dashing rouge. He remembered reading about a girl making out with a masked hero while he was upside down, and pondered if he could give that a shot. Then eventually, perhaps on the day of their wedding, he would reveal his identity, and she would be overjoyed to see that the two loves of her life were one and the same.

"Donald Fauntleroy Duck, what in all the seven seas are you wearing?"

So much for that flight of fantasy. Donald fumbled, dropping everything in his hands to the floor. "What… how did you know it was me?"

Daisy pointed at his eyes, storming into the room and not letting go of her gun yet. "Your mask isn't covering anything, I can still see you! Now answer the question, along with this one – what are you doing here?"

This would be the last time Donald took fashion advice from a guy who thought being purple would scare villains. "Ummm…" How could he answer in a way that would leave him out of trouble, not enrage his girlfriend, and keep the Justice Ducks out of danger? This couldn't be solved with Eeny Meeny Miney Mo. "It's not what it looks like."

"Try again." Daisy now stood in front of him and despite being about his height, she somehow gave enough intimidation to look like she was leaning over him and glaring down at him. "You won't get a chance for a third strike."

Unable to see a way out of this sticky situation without lying to her, lest he lose a limb, he heavily sighed. "… All right, listen… have you ever heard of the Justice Ducks?" He saw a flash of recognition flicker in Daisy's eyes. "I've become a member, and I'm helping the group expose corporate corruption. I came here to make sure the N.A.V.Y. isn't involved in any suspicious money work."

Daisy furrowed her brows as memories pushed themselves forward. "Justice Ducks… I remember them from the newspapers!" Donald's heart swelled with joy, deeply relieved that he had gotten out of trouble. "They're that sexist group with that stupid Darkwing Doofus who keeps insulting the N.A.V.Y.!" Donald's heart sank and began to drown in fear. "You're mixed up in that idiotic vigilante group? Are you out of your mind?"

Despite Donald's well deserved fear of her temper, he still felt justified in his quest, and knew if he could just explain things properly, Daisy would understand. "Okay, Darkwing's views on girls aren't exactly up to date, but he's a good guy, and this is a good group! We're doing the work you can't. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff we've already uncovered."

"You're right, I don't believe it." Daisy began poking him in the chest with every word, almost sending him backwards. "Do you understand how much trouble you put yourself in? If anyone but me found you, you'd be arrested! Do you know what that would do to your family?" Then her pokes became harder as she understood past grievances clearer. "Is this why you've been canceling our dates?"

"It was for a good cause!" Donald tried to move away from Daisy's finger as he was starting to get the feeling she was bruising him. "This is the only job I've ever been good at! You'll see, in a little while we're about to expose-"

"Stop it!" Daisy grabbed Donald by the wrist to keep him in place. "This isn't a job! This is… madness!"

"Madness?" Though Donald loved Daisy dearly, his pride was just as important as she was, and she was startling to trample on it. "This… is… my life! I know what I'm doing! I'm helping people, I'm doing the things you can't!"

"Because the things you're doing are illegal! And I'm not going to have my fiancé breaking into buildings just to make himself feel important!" She made a grab for his mask, and tried to yank it off. "Now go home and don't you ever do this nonsense again!"

He could only be pushed so far, and without making a conscious thought to do so, he suddenly smacked her hand away from his mask. "And since when do you care what your fiancé' does?" His anger overrode his sense, and in an effort to salvage his pride, he turned defensive and offensive at the same time. "You're on some other guy's arm every other weekend! Your room is filled with gifts from men! Am I just supposed to ignore it all? It's not fair!"

Daisy's cheeks grew hot from humiliation and embarrassment. Much like Donald, she refused to admit her own faults, and went on the attack instead. "That's… that's completely different! Don't change the subject!"

"Stop telling me what to do! You lost that right when you started seeing those men!" As his temper flared, Daisy lost her power of intimidation over him, and now they both glared at each other with previously untapped resentment. "This is my life, and I'll do what I want! You can't just start suddenly acting like you care about me when your precious reputation is in danger!"

"It's not every girl's dream to marry a criminal!" It was taking all of Daisy's strength not to pull out her pistol. "You can't talk to me this way!"

"Maybe you don't have to worry about marrying a criminal anymore!" Donald whipped around and began heading back to the damaged window, reaching out to grab the rope.

"Fine with me!" Daisy stomped her foot on top of the glass circle, smashing it into pieces. "I hope you get arrested! Maybe Donna will bail you out, but I won't!"

For the shortest of moments, Donald stopped when he heard that. Rope still in his hands, he glanced back at Daisy, wondering why she had said that. Love briefly flickered in his heart, wanting to clear up any misconceptions she had about his relationship about Donna. However, seeing hate still erupting in her eyes, the flicker was snuffed out, and he resumed climbing out of the window. He'd hold off trying this investigation path, as he knew his anger wouldn't allow him to concentrate. It was best to go home and stew over what had happened.

Daisy continued to glare at the space where Donald once was, almost wishing he was still there for she still had much more to yell at him about. It wouldn't be until much later that night, far long after she had cleaned up the glass and replaced the window before anyone could find out what had happened, that she truly understood what she had yelled at him. Often in the worst fits of anger, things are said without meaning in order to get the most pain out of the one angered at. When she realized the power and implications of what she had screeched, she fell to her knees, and sobbed long into the cold night.

* * *

><p>A few days after seeing Horace in the hospital, Minnie, Clarabelle, and Daisy met with Amelia to discuss what had happened. Amelia admitted that she had ordered the girls to look into Mortimer's finances, but so far they had found nothing unusual. Minnie was slightly upset that she hadn't been a part of the search, and insisted that she try and confront Mortimer personally about it. She felt that maybe Mortimer would be more open to his fiancé. Amelia allowed this, but also ordered that Clarabelle go with her should things get hostile.<p>

As the two headed to Mortimer's mansion, Minnie longed for a chance to be promoted to a higher rank more than ever. Walking in a skirt in cold wind was sure to lead to catching a cold. She tried to distract her mind from the cold, nearing Mortimer's mansion as she and Clarabelle were on the sidewalk. She looked up at her taller friend, and once more tried to step on unwanted territory. "So… are we still not going to talk about you and Horace?"

Like every other time Daisy and Minnie had prodded Clarabelle about this subject this week, Clarabelle's chin went straight up and her limbs became mechanical, moving slowly and with the least amount of motion. "There is absolutely nothing to talk about! Except the fact there's nothing to talk about. Do you want to talk about nothing? Because we can talk about nothing. Nothing is grand. I like nothing." And just like every other time the girls had brought him up, Clarabelle had wound up talking complete babbling nonsense.

Still, Minnie gave the talk her best effort, opening the large black gates that stood before Mortimer's home. "This wasn't the first time we all thought Horace wouldn't recover, but you didn't act like this when his back was injured at the royal wedding. What makes this different?"

"Nothing makes it different!" Clarabelle looked like a windup toy soldier as she kept her arms and legs impossibly straight as she walked. "Horace and I are still the same! Nothing's changed! Our friendship didn't change! We're the same as ever! I like the same things! Aren't same things wonderful? Same is a great word!" Minnie thankfully gave up any further attempts when they reached his front door. Minnie needed Clarabelle to act professionally, instead of the disturbing doll she was so intent on becoming.

Minnie only needed to ring the doorbell once before the door opened. Typically one of Mortimer's many butlers would have greeted them and allowed them inside, so Minnie was faintly surprised to see Mortimer standing there instead. "Welcome, ladies! Always glad to see you stop by." He stepped aside to let them in, and closed the door once they entered. Minnie found the house strangely quiet as typically there was the hustle and bustle of servants or his snobby rich friends parading around. Mortimer took Minnie by the arm and walked further into the house with Clarabelle following. "I admit, I was surprised to get that call from your captain. She must really be bored if she needs to look through my boring paperwork."

"She's just doing her job." Minnie said gently, knowing she needed to play up to Mortimer but at the same time couldn't let Amelia go without defending her. "And it probably won't take long at all. Better safe than sorry."

"What a job!" Mortimer shook his head, and clicked his tongue to his large teeth in disapproval. "Married, and with a kid on the way, and she's still working for the N.A.V.Y.? What kind of woman is that? You got to feel bad for that husband of hers. If I were him, I'd take some command over my wife, let her know who wears the pants in the family."

Minnie and Clarabelle exchanged a look of distaste, but by this time Clarabelle had managed to get her act together. "If we could stick to the subject at hand, please? We just need to look over everything you've purchased this past year, and how your income is working."

Was it Minnie's imagination, or was Mortimer sweating? With such cold weather these days, he didn't have a physical need to be. Come to think of it, the house was chilly on the inside too, as if he hadn't put the heat on. "Why don't we have some lunch first? I just got some tea imported from Japan, great stuff."

"Maybe later." Minnie squeezed Mortimer's arm in a small sign of discipline, hoping she could make it clear that they wouldn't be swayed from their task. "We really need to see your finances first."

"Oh, relax, we'll get to it, eventually." Mortimer tried to lead Minnie toward one hallway, but Minnie had been over enough times to know that wasn't where his office was. "You should come and see these new paintings I got, all the way from America."

Minnie tugged Mortimer the correct way, knowing where his important papers would be held. "Mortimer, we can look at them later, we really need to do our job right now!"

Mortimer reluctantly allowed Minnie to drag him the right way, but he wouldn't go down quietly. "What's the big deal? You don't need to do it perfectly, you'll be leaving it soon enough. Then you can relax here with me. You can take care of the kids, and rub my back after I've had a long day. Isn't that better than running around after pirates and going through boring paperwork?"

It physically pained Minnie to not roll her eyes. If Mortimer could learn to keep his bigoted opinions to himself, maybe he could be easier to tolerate. She and Clarabelle bit their lips in order not to bait him any further. When they reached his office, Mortimer broke off his hold with Minnie, and stood in front of the door, blocking them from entering. "Do we really have to do this right this second? It's… a real mess in there."

"Mortimer, I've had enough stalling!" Minnie put her hands on her hips, and Clarabelle smirked to see Minnie taking charge. "This is official N.A.V.Y. business, and if you have a problem with it, you're free to take it up to one of our Captains. But right now, we can't go back and tell them we didn't do our jobs because of a dirty office. Now, please, step aside so we can get this over with."

Mortimer could see no way out of this. Swallowing hard, he took his time to twist the doorknob, and carefully glance inside. His eyes widened, and then he slammed the door, clutching his chest in fright. "You can't go in there."

"What's the problem this time?" Clarabelle stood by Minnie's side, matching her crossed arms and annoyed expression. "Too many dust bunnies? I'm sure we can leave that out of the report."

Mortimer shook his head rapidly, trying to keep his voice in a low whisper. "Pirates."

"For goodness' sake!" Minnie headed for the door, shoving Mortimer aside. "That's the silliest excuse I've heard yet. We're going through your finances thoroughly whether you like it or not!" She grabbed the doorknob, and slammed the door open. His office was very dirty and disorganized, and she could spot a few dust bunnies here and there. There were also pirates from Mickey's crew tearing the place apart in order to find anything of value. At the same time, she could hear Mortimer's windows shattering, and could feel the rumbling of footsteps, signaling that even more pirates were invading the house to rob it. Minnie stood there, watching the chaos unfold. "… My apologies, Mortimer." She slammed the door closed, trying to form an idea. "Clarabelle, get Mortimer out of here, call for back up, and I'll go find Mickey to put a stop to this!"

Ignoring the fact that Mortimer had already started running for his life and abandoning the girls, Clarabelle began reaching for her pistol. "Are you nuts? Don't you remember what Captain Amelia said? If you go after Mickey again, she'll throw you out of the N.A.V.Y.!"

"She's not here." Minnie decided to take out her sword instead. "Just trust me."

"Minnie, have you noticed that every time you try to use a loophole, it doesn't work out?"

Actively avoiding Clarabelle's common sense, Minnie opened the door yet again, and closed it behind her. She quickly locked the door to prevent Clarabelle interrupting her, and she then shouted the name of the first pirate she recognized. "Peggy Sue?"

Peg had been tipping over Mortimer's gigantic desk when her despised full name was used. "It's Peg! Just Peg!" The tactic worked, getting her attention, and she looked down at the little private. "Oh, it's you, the Captain's…" She paused, remembering the rumors had gone throughout the ship. As far as everyone knew, she was no longer Mickey's anything. "… Yer the little private."

"Minnie." She pointed her sword at Peg, threatening her directly. "And I demand you capture me and hold me hostage aboard your ship!" This got the attention of the rest of the robbers, staring in bewilderment at the odd demand.

Peg blinked, unsure if she heard correctly. She looked to her fellow pirates, who merely shrugged. "… Never a dull moment when Mickey's in charge, I'll give him that."

* * *

><p>That same time, another moment lacking dullness was occurring at Magica's home. Her three remaining scientists were huddled around her closed bedroom door, not knowing what to make of the situation. They were the Fearsome Four, though with the death of Bushroot they had spent a good portion of time trying to come up with a new nickname for themselves. The best they had come up with so far was the Terrible Trio, and it just didn't carry the same sting.<p>

"What if she dies?" The one who asked that, Elmo Sputterspark, didn't sound at all concerned with his employer's mortality. Another balding scientist, his concerned was with where his money and projects would go if he had no order to give him orders anymore. "What do we do? We were on the edge of some real breakthroughs, and then she collapses? The nerve of some people."

"Knowing that greedy old witch, she probably didn't think to leave anyone in her will to inherit this place." This one was named Quackerjack, and only Quackerjack, as he refused to answer to his given name. His eccentrics were allowed due to all the great work he could bring to the table. "But you have to admit, it was pretty cool the way her eyes glowed purple and she fell over in a screaming heap." She grinned with teeth too large for his beak, and twisted his fingers against his head. "Maybe she's lost her last marble!"

"Three out of three scientists agree!" Bud Flood was the youngest of the geniuses, but was in some ways stranger than the rest of them. Due to a longing for media spotlight, he typically spoke in advertisements, and many employees placed bets to see how long someone could talk to him before they felt a need to tell him to stop doing that. "When maniacal business women glow purple and faint, it's a sign that something big is going down. Could it be related to the crystal? Stay tuned to find out!"

"Stop doing that!" Elmo had lost five Euros in saying that but it was worth it."And of course it's related to the crystal, they glowed the exact same color. I was the one who told her that using it too much would warp her mind, but why listen to me? I'm just a brilliant scientist!" He would have loved to rant and rave about how he was right and everyone else was wrong, but the door began to creak open. All three men jumped in their shoes, and felt a flood of fear as Magica stood in the doorway.

They should have felt relieved when they saw she didn't look angry. Yet their terror still remained, as instead of anger, there was a distorted pride shining in her eyes. Add in the fact that her eyes were literally shining, and they found themselves drenched in worry. With a wild grin, Magica spoke calmly to them, raising a beckoning hand towards them. "Gentlemen… I know exactly what destiny has laid out before me."

**End Of Chapter Twenty-Six.**


	27. Invalid Versus Important

Glory to my beautiful editor, Lies! But before you get to reading, I have an important announcement. I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year, and as such, I won't be working on PVP during November. Sorry for the hiatus, but it's already been decided. I'll see you guys in December, happy holidays!

* * *

><p>It was the first time Peg had ever dealt with a willing hostage, but she saw no reason not to comply with Minnie's wishes. After tying Minnie's wrists together with rope, she picked up the tiny mouse and hauled her out of the mansion. But as Minnie rode in Peg's arms, it turned out she had more strange requests. "Put me in the brig, and don't tell Mickey I'm there until the ship has started moving. Then I'll want to see him personally."<p>

Peg frowned, scrunching up her nose as she looked down at her prisoner. "Yer awfully demandin', fer a hostage."

"_Please_ put me in the brig, then." Minnie restated, speaking with the kindest conviction. Peg began to think the private had some screws loose, which actually made her a fitting match for their crazy captain. Peg didn't issue another complaint and Minnie didn't issue another request, so the rest of ride went smoothly.

When they arrived at the cells on the bottom of the ship, Peg was kind enough to untie Minnie before opening the cell door. "We all know about the captain dumpin' ye." She closed the door and locked it, though she felt she didn't need to. "Goin' this far ta get yer man back? Ye got me support, lass." She proudly pounded her chest with her fist, understanding the fight it took to get what the heart desired. "I ain't ever lettin' me man outta me sight ever again!"

Minnie rubbed her scuffed wrists, grateful that Peg hadn't tied her as tightly as she could have. "I think you misunderstand why I'm really here. I just need to settle some things before we can really let each other go." She saw Peg's confusion, and took a seat on the floor. "I want to get some questions answered. Whatever we have… whatever we are… if it's going to end, I want it with everything resolved. He owes me that much."

Peg still didn't entirely understand Minnie's motivation, but she decided not to press on it any further. She smirked, twirling her ring of keys around her finger. "Whatever ye say. I'll go and let the captain know about the extra guest. Bound ta be a lot of fun." Chuckling, she left Minnie alone with her thoughts.

Minnie watched Peg leave, and then leaned her head against the cold wall. She remembered the last time she was in these cells, when she and Oswald had first met Ortensia. A smirk was fought off as she saw the irony of her situation. During the time aboard the Hawkins, it had been Minnie who went to see the prisoner behind bars, and now it would be Mickey doing the same. But she knew when they next saw each other, it wouldn't be like those emotionally trying days of the Hawkins. Minnie's plan was being made up on the spot, as most of her plans went. She didn't know what she would say to Mickey when she saw him, but maybe she had time to think. She closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to drift to every time she had been with Mickey.

She lightly touched the handle of her sword, which had returned to its scabbard on her belt, and a plan was born in her mind.

* * *

><p>While the waiting game was being played, Clarabelle was welcoming all the pressure she was under. Ensuring Mortimer was safe, fighting the pirates that invaded his house, calling for back up, reporting to Captain Jane what had happened, and then making the trip to Captain Amelia's home to inform her how investigating Mortimer went was a lot to do in one day. She endured it all with open arms, as it was a welcome distraction from thinking about what had happened with Horace. Maybe she would get lucky and the rest of her life would become so overwhelmingly busy that she would never have to think about or see him again. It might mean an early grave or driving her to the brink of insanity, but she thought those were better outcomes than dealing with what Horace had done and said to her.<p>

Amelia's husband wasn't home, so Clarabelle allowed herself inside the home after knocking once. Amelia's stomach had grown so large during her pregnancy that movement was becoming a hindrance, and Clarabelle wanted to make her Captain's life as easy as possible. Amelia was sitting on her sofa, wearing a form fitting silk robe that somehow still managed to give her a great air of authority. Clarabelle remained standing as she explained in detail what had happened, though she grew quieter when she had to reveal Minnie had been taken 'hostage'. An uneasy silence followed the story telling, and Amelia turned her head away, contemplating.

Clarabelle began to shake in place as she thought about what consequences could lay in wait for Minnie. Though Minnie did make foolish choices, she still deserved to be part of the N.A.V.Y., and Clarabelle didn't want to be part of the reason why Minnie was prematurely kicked out. When Amelia lifted her head to speak, Clarabelle held her breath. "I want you and Daisy to search for his ship, and negotiate a deal in order to have Minerva returned." Clarabelle's relief was short lived when Amelia decided to alter her plan. "And bring Horace Horsecollar with you."

The mere mention of his name was strong enough to send her back in that burning building, where she heard Horace murmuring those words of love and affection, and she could feel his warm lips pressed onto hers. Throwing all tact out of the window, Clarabelle screeched and covered her face with her arms, blushing so deeply that Amelia could swear even her horns were turning crimson. "H-Horace? Why Horace?"

A slightly raised eyebrow was all the reaction that emitted from Amelia. "He is one of the A.R.M.Y.'s top mechanics and a rising member in their ranks. I want him to inspect Captain Mickey's ship to see if he can determine exactly who or where the ship was made. Even if he can only learn where the materials came from, it would be a great help to us."

"Then just he and Daisy should go!" Clarabelle lost the ability to control her body, flailing about in elaborate ways to gesture her suggestions. "Or we can get another mechanic! Any mechanic! Anyone but Horace!" She was acting unprofessionally but she didn't care. She couldn't be on a mission with Horace! She couldn't be with Horace ever again! Not when she kept thinking of his love and his kiss, the thought of which was making her grab her horns and almost yanking them off her head.

Amelia calmly rested her hands on top of her stomach. "I'm going to need an explanation for this irrational behavior, Private. I thought bringing him into the investigation wouldn't be a problem, as I was under the impression you two were a couple."

Clarabelle wondered if this is what a heart attack felt like, because it felt as if her heart was going to pop right out of her chest. She also wondered if this was a rock big enough for her to hide under anywhere in the nearby vicinity. Speech became difficult, as the pressure of such an impression was draining all the strength out of her. "A coup… A coup… A c-c-c-c-CAPTAIN! Why would you think that?"

"You have always spoken highly of him." Amelia said as smoothly as ever, undeterred by the breakdown of her private. "And you have spoken of him many times. You grew up together, you spend most of your days off together, and you always show the most concern whenever he is injured." She raised a hand to gesture behind her. "He has also been in my kitchen for the past hour. He wanted to talk to me about you, as he believes I know you best, but he's been as… energetic as you have been, and I have been able to get little information out of him." She snapped her fingers to signal for him. "Come out here."

As Horace reluctantly began to drag himself out Amelia's kitchen, Clarabelle tried to think of what she would need to do in order to have lighting strike her down where she stood. Clarabelle turned her foot, ready to flee, but Amelia spoke quicker this time. "You will stay put, Private. That is an order. You two will be working together, so neither of you is to leave until we settle this matter." Addressing this matter as she would any other matter of N.A.V.Y., she kept her head level and her orders direct. "When Mortimer Rodawn's newest territorial purchase was burned down, Horace was hit by a falling plank and needed Clarabelle's assistance in leaving. Since then, the two of you have been behaving differently. Due to Horace's back injury, it's doubtful this is the first time his life has been threatened, so that can't be the reason behind this change. Something else happened that night. Speak."

A minute can be seen as a short amount of time, but if that minute is spent in complete silence, it can feel like much longer. That's why Horace was the first to speak, as to him it felt as if ten minutes had passed when barely one had. "Uh… technically, since I'm from the A.R.M.Y, I don't really have to obey your-"

"He kissed me!" It was out before Clarabelle had any control over it, and she then covered her mouth with her hands as if that would somehow make it unsaid.

"I-I didn't mean ta do it!" Horace's own dam burst, and once he started he couldn't stop. "I mean, I guess I did, but, but, but I thought I was dyin'! I didn't wanna die without sayin' how I feel! But now I'm alive and I said it anyways and… ugh!" He kept his eyes to the floor, unable to look at Clarabelle. "Now we can't even stand ta be in the same place! I messed it all up! I didn't wanna say it! I wish I didn't say it, and do it, and I'm real sorry!"

Amelia watched him out of the corner of her eye. "So the fact is you're in love with her. But you never wanted her to know until there was a time when no repercussions could be had. You felt there would be repercussions… in other words, you thought she would reject you."

Hearing that managed to stop Clarabelle from her constant shaking. Perplexed, she looked at Horace, trying to see if she could find understanding from him before he spoke again. Why would he think that? Then again, she hadn't exactly embraced his news with open arms, had she? Guilt piled in her throat as she understood just how desperate Horace had been. Had she been so cold to him that he could only be really honest with her when he thought he would die? Had their friendship already changed before he had spoken his feelings? When did that happen, and how, and why?

"Sort… sort of." Horace's voice was quiet, and he rubbed one of his arms in an effort to keep his body distracted. "… A girl like Clarabelle, she… deserves someone better, don't ya think? I'm… just a mechanic, and my back is all messed up… I ain't too bright, and I ain't too strong, and I ain't too good lookin', and… She should be with someone better."

"That's up to her." Amelia directed her attention back to Clarabelle. "You're the main reason behind this separation. Either you love him or you don't. Tell him which it is."

Clarabelle respected Amelia, and on some level even loved her like another mother, but in that moment a sudden flame of heart burst open. How could Amelia state such an important matter like it was that easy? Just one or the other, and she was being forced to choose now? Clarabelle's fists clenched and she put her back straight. "With… with all due respect Captain, that's not fair! You heard how hard it was for Horace to talk, what do you expect me to do? This has changed our friendship forever!"

Amelia thankfully didn't appear to be insulted by the shouting. "And is that such a terrible thing?" The question doused Clarabelle's anger, not understanding what was being said. "No friendship stays the same. There's the possibility that yours could change for the better. If it goes for the worse, then how strong was your friendship in the first place? How much are you willing to fight to make sure he stays a part of your life? Or is what Horace says right? Do you deserve someone better than he is?"

"There is no one better than he is!" Clarabelle just could not control her mouth today, but now there was no turning back. Horace snapped his head up so quickly it hurt his neck, but he kept staring at Clarabelle to confirm what he had just heard. Clarabelle couldn't stand the intensity of the eyes on her, so she closed her eyes as she uncomfortably unlocked her heart. "H-Horace… None of those things… none of those things matter… I was just scared… All this time, I thought I was the one who hurt you back, and I couldn't forgive myself… I'm the one who doesn't deserve you…"

Amelia allowed another moment of silence to pass, in order for Clarabelle to compose herself, as she saw tears starting to dribble down the cow's cheeks. When Amelia thought the moment was right, she posed the question. "Putting the matter of deserving aside, since it's hardly of any importance, do you love him?"

Clarabelle forced her eyes open, and she and Horace gazed at each other. At first, they could only see their reflections, ashamed of their weaknesses and still carrying the useless notion of 'deserving' upon their shoulders. What right did they have to happiness? Wouldn't they be a burden? But as Amelia's words sunk in, they saw their reflections change. In a glimmering instant, they saw not truly themselves, but what the other saw of them. Clarabelle could see that Horace took her to be a woman of perfection, a princess who needed to be cared and loved for. Horace could see that Clarabelle took him to be a man of strength and courage, a prince who would loyally fulfill the desires of those he cared for most.

With that, Clarabelle felt weight melting off of her body, and her body was free to move as she pleased. Words still did not come easy to her, so she answered with a simple nod. That one little bob the head was all it took for Horace's body to overflow with energy, and in a rush of emotion, he ran towards her, and threw his arms around her. Clarabelle instinctively froze in his grasp, but in seconds she was returning his embrace. It felt right, as if this was what they should have done all along. They never wanted to think of life before this moment.

Clarabelle looked up at him, and they exchanged warm smiles. She grew curious if he would try to kiss her again, and her heart jumped in eager anticipation. He very well could have, but then they both remembered they weren't alone in the house. Equally scarlet, they split apart, grinning sheepishly at Amelia. Clarabelle thought she saw a brief smirk on her captain's face, but it was gone so fast that Clarabelle thought she imagined it. Amelia nodded to show she was ready to speak again. "Congratulations. Now, with that matter out of the way, you will get Private Daisy and do the assignment given, as soon as pos-" Amelia's eyes widened, and her fingers gripped the sofa beneath her. "… Change of plans. You will meet up with Private Daisy later."

Clarabelle looked Amelia over in an effort to see what had changed. "Why?"

"Because I need your assistance right now. My water just broke."

* * *

><p>It was Peg who would later return to the cells and unlock Minnie's door. Mickey had agreed to see her, but on his own terms. Peg led Minnie to the upper deck, where it seemed as if every one of Mickey's crew was standing around to watch. The crowd parted as Minnie walked forward, and the spectators formed an uneasy circle around the mice. Minnie wasn't too surprised. Mickey had most likely chosen this location to talk so he could avoid divulging in how he really felt. This tactic wasn't going to work if she did her plan right.<p>

Mickey kept his arms crossed, and he glared at her just as hard as he had when they had last met. "I thought I told ye I never wanted ta see yer face again."

"And since when have I ever done anything you've told me to do?" She withdrew her sword, but she did it in a careful and slow matter, to show she wasn't going to spring into an attack. "I challenge you, Captain Mickey, to a duel!" She pointed her sword at him, and made it clear she had used his idea against him. There was no way he could decline the challenge without looking like a coward to his crew. "Just you and me, and our swords. The first one to drop their sword loses. If I lose, I'll do what you want… I'll stay out of your life forever."

Mickey bit the inside of his cheek, feeling the eyes of his crew bore into him. He began to take out his own sword, unwillingly agreeing to the challenge. "And if ye win?"

"I get the truth about everything." She could have been speaking about his connection to Magica, or about his feelings to her. No one could tell in that moment, but they could see she was serious about this fight. She wasn't going to leave without it. "Do you accept?"

Mickey didn't want to. He wanted to turn around and lock himself in his room so he wouldn't have to deal with her. Why did she have to be so stubborn? Why couldn't she let things go? Why, even now, even faced with all these things he should be frustrated with and should hate her for, did he want to run to her and take her into his arms? Grinding his teeth, he aimed his sword at her. "Aye, I accept, but this is the last time we ever fight!" Wanting this agonizing duel over with, he ran straight towards her. She jumped forward to meet him, and the fight began.

Goofy loved a good story. There were countless times in his youth when he had listened to his mother's stories, and could recite every one she told word for word. This adoration for tales carried on into his adulthood, though he now enjoyed it in different surroundings and situations. Just like in his youth, he was laying in bed to listen to the story. Now as an adult, his head was also laying on his future wife's lap, and she was the one speaking. She was reading one of the few written stories of Atlantis, and while Goofy looked like he was napping, with his eyes closed and a pleased smile on his muzzle, he was paying rapt attention.

"Atlantis was a noble kingdom in the days of old." Millie took her time to read, not wanting to miss a word. "They sought to understand the world and people on every level. But one day, a horrible plague set throughout the land. It killed thousands, and those it left alive were weak and helpless. They could no longer take after their crops and animals. The wisest men gathered to think of what they could do to save their people. They gathered materials of the land, created a second race of people. This second race was stronger and faster, and they would obey the first race without questions. Everything was peaceful again."

Something was nagging at Goofy. A faint memory was mixing with something Ezekiel had said. He pushed the thought aside, trying to concentrate on Millie's voice. "But as time passed, the people of Atlantis became lazy. They depended so much on the Second Race that they no longer did anything themselves. They became greedy and cruel, no longer caring about anyone but themselves. The princess of the kingdom understood what was happening, and wanted to restore her kingdom's nobility. No one would listen to her warnings, so she took it upon herself to save her land."

Again, the thoughts nagged at Goofy, and again, he struggled to drown them out. "The princess gathered the wisest men together, and they told showed her the heart that connected the Second Race together. The heart was able to control the entire Second Race, and whoever had the heart could command the Second Race. Wielding a holy scepter, the princess used the heart to link the minds of her people with her own, and they all understood the princess's worries. They realized that if they continued to rely on the Second Race, they would no longer value life itself. They put the Second Race into a deep sleep, and vowed to never rely on them again." She paused, and flipped the pages back and forth. "Funny, it ends just like that…"

The dots could no longer stand being unconnected in Goofy's mind, and there was a spark that couldn't be ignored."Hey!" Goofy sprung up to sit, and Millie dropped the book in her surprise. "I just remembered somethin'! Didn't Ezekiel say that a Doctor Thatch went lookin' fer Atlantis?" Millie nodded, but Goofy kept talking before she could say another word. "Mickey and us, we were paid ta rob Scrooge's museum… ta get a journal that Thatch wrote! Some lass named Magica paid us ta do it… but Mickey got captured, so we really never got around ta doin' it…"

"Magica?" Millie managed to wedge herself into his revelation, sitting on her knees. "As in Magica DeSpell? She's one of the richest women in the world, and has a corporation that comes out with the latest technology… and she's engaged to Scrooge McDuck! The owner of the museum!"

"This ain't no co-inky-dink!" Inspired, Goofy jumped off the bed. "We gotta get a look at that journal! "

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Millie giggled as she slid off of the bed, taking Goofy's hand. "I can meet up with Clarabelle and Daisy and Minnie… just think, maybe we can solve a mystery no one's been able to solve for decades! You're so smart, Goofy!"

"Sure am. Marryin' ye, aren't I?" He kissed Millie on the cheek, and they swung their hands, leaving the room together to begin planning. The book had fallen on the floor, opening on a page Millie had missed in her flipping. Had she looked with a more precise eye, she might have read about the madness that came over the princess due to how long she was with the heart. But that probably wasn't too important.

* * *

><p>"Place your bets here!" Those that weren't watching the duel with rapt interest were now at Iago's side, slapping down coins and stolen goods on the floor to bet on who would win the duel. Iago happily rubbed his wings together as he tried to keep up with the fight. "All right, I got twenty coins over here for Miss Skirt, do I hear ten rubies for our good Captain? Keep 'em coming, we're still a long ways to go!"<p>

Mickey noted to himself that perhaps dinner that night should be fried parrot. Food would have to wait, as Iago was right, the fight was far from over. It was difficult to tell how much time had passed since the first time the swords had touched, as each opponent was far too invested in each other to take note of the falling sun. The entire ship had become their battleground, as they ran around each other, toward each other, away from each other, back and forth with blades thrusting and jabbing without mercy. From an outside perspective, they appeared to be evenly matched. Only those within the duel knew of the real strength being tested.

Minnie carefully walked around the mast of the ship, as Mickey did the same. "You're still taking it easy on me." Their swords were at their side, waiting for the right moment to strike again. "Just like when we first fought. You can't fight a girl. If you had just treated me more seriously in the museum, you might not have gotten captured."

"I regret a lotta things, Private." Mickey kept his walk slow, trying to determine when the next blow would come. "And I'm tryin' ta make 'em up fer 'em now."

"You're not making up for anything! You're running away!" Minnie's hand began to tilt, and Mickey stopped walking. "That was my job! Every time you tried to come for me, I'm the one who refused you, I told you no, I said it was impossible, but you kept coming back to me!" Her sword stabbed the air and Mickey ducked to avoid his shoulder being sliced. "You've apologized to me, but I know you never regretted any of it! Because… you're selfish!"

Mickey managed to block the next attacks with his sword, but found himself needing to back up. "Selfish? I'm lettin' ye go! I'm not gunna bother ye no more! I ain't selfish!"

"Yes you are!" Minnie's sword stayed on his, and the two stayed in place with shaking legs. "You're a selfish brat! You always do things impulsively, you never think about anyone but yourself! Everyone is just supposed to do what you tell them, and you don't care what they have to say about it! You always have to be right! Even now, you're not taking me seriously, you won't fight me for real!"

"Why do ye care?" Mickey took one step backwards, and then swept his foot under Minnie's legs. She fall backwards onto the floor, and blinked to see Mickey's sword at her face. "I'm doin' what ye want! I'm leavin' ye alone! Ye wanted me gone, so I'm gone! Ye can't just change yer mind all of a sudden…"

"When have you ever done what I wanted?" Minnie slowly began to sit up, knowing Mickey wouldn't cut her where she was. "This isn't what I wanted. You still think I can't take care of myself. You still think I'm weak. But… I'm not!" She kicked Mickey in the chest, and rose to her feet, swinging her sword again. The pirates around them cheered and hollered as the fight progressed, taking different sides at any given moment.

The only ones not joining the cheers were Ortensia and Oswald. Ortensia's face was grim, steely watching the fight while rubbing her arms uncomfortably. Oswald could feel the tension and anger pouring out of her, and cleared his throat. "… He's not going to tell her what Mirage said, is he." Ortensia shook her head. "I didn't think so. They're both really stupid."

"Probably why they make a good match." Ortensia almost couldn't be heard over the roars of the crowd. "… She's fighting fer him. And I just ran away." It was bitter to admit but it was true. Minnie was showing more determination and conviction than Ortensia ever had. Ortensia had waited for Mickey to see her, instead of putting herself in his line of sight. She had fled at every sign of rejection, instead of defying it and trying to prove her worth. She was a coward, and wasn't worthy of his affections. She never had a chance with him. Her teeth clenched, and her eyes felt hot. It would be humiliating to start crying in this crowd.

A soft hand touched hers. Oswald knew there was still a chance to be slapped for this, but he couldn't let her feel this way. His effort was rewarded, and his hand was clenched in return. Oswald smiled softly, and twirled the staff that he still kept with him. "Well, if he's not going to say it…" He ducked his arm low, and then threw it in the midst of the fight.

It rolled under Mickey's line of running, and he tripped with a startled shout, landing flat on his face. He was quick to get on his knees, growling at where it came from. "What's the big idea, Olympus?" Minnie also looked miffed at the interruption, and all eyes shot toward the rabbit.

Recalling the snobbery of his former life, Oswald stood proud, nose up. "Oh, come off it, street rat. If you're not going to tell her, someone has to."

Mickey's eyes widened, and he scrambled to get to his feet, but kept tripping over the staff. "Ye say a word and I'll-"

Oswald kept speaking over the threat, addressing Minnie. "He broke up with you because Mirage said her employer wanted you both dead. As long as you were together, you were both going be targets. He wanted to keep you safe, so he broke the whole thing off."

"It's a lie!" Mickey hissed as he finally managed to get hold of his footing. "He's just sayin' that 'cause he hates me guts!"

"I do, but it's still the truth." Oswald tugged on one of his large ears. "Heard it myself."

"Aye, the lad's speakin' the truth!" Peg called out, grabbing Pete by the shoulder and shaking him back and forth to make him agree with her. "We heard it loud and clear! That woman said he was the reason ye were attacked!"

Minnie's face softened, and she slowly turned to Mickey. After taking several deep breathes due to exhaustion, she timidly approached him, one hand out towards him yet not touching him. "Is… is that true?" Mickey refused to look at her, but he didn't object either. Silence overcame the ship, and Mickey bit his lower lip. He then felt gentle fingertips on his cheek, and his heart threatened to burst out from behind his ribs. He met her eyes, and felt his body melt at the sight of her gaze. Her eyes were flowing with beautiful pain, and her voice spoke with understanding guilt. "Oh Mickey, you… you… _JERK_!" The fingertips suddenly balled into a fist and socked him into the nose.

As Mickey's face hit the floor again, he gave up on understanding the female species. He rolled over onto his back, and yelped as saw Minnie's sword aiming for his ears. He managed to block her with his sword, and found himself exchanging strikes back and forth while he was still on his back. He'd find it hilarious if he wasn't terrified of the rage Minnie's movements were showing. "W-what are ye mad about now?"

"You really _do_ think I can't take care of myself!" She shrieked, becoming sporadic in her attacks as her temper was unleashed. "You let me feel awful and miserable about myself and about us, just because you thought I was weak! You're the absolute worst!"

"Ye were stabbed in the back!" Mickey couldn't even find enough time or room to stand up in between Minnie's frenzy. "I couldn't let that happen again!" Why was she so upset? He had done this for her, to protect her! Surely any other woman would have found this wonderfully romantic in a tragic sort of way.

"You didn't have anything to do with it, stupid!" Minnie stomped hard on Mickey's gut, and he was certain he was going to upchuck several gallons of rum if she kept that strength up. "Why in the world would you think someone like Mirage or whoever hired her would keep their word? What guarantee is there that they wouldn't go after either one of us again?" She didn't give him time to answer before stomping him again. "I'm a member of the N.A.V.Y., and it's my job to endure danger! I chose to follow the proud path my family has set up! By doing this to me… you insulted me, you don't think I can do my job, and you lied about why you liked me in the first place!"

When Minnie moved to stomp him a third time, Mickey managed to grab her foot and prevent the assault. "Now hold on here… I never lied to ye!"

"Didn't you say I was good at my job?" Minnie poked her sword at his nose.

"Aye, but-"

"Didn't you say I should be proud of myself for capturing you?"

"A-Aye, but-"

"Didn't you say I should do what I want for my life?" Mickey didn't bother agree this time, and allowed Minnie to continue her rant. "And yet here you went, trying to tell me what to do! You are a pirate, and I am a private! It is my duty to bring you to justice! I am proud of what I do!" She kicked his hands off of her leg, and grabbed him by the jacket, bringing their faces together. "You don't get to decide that this is over! Not after everything you've put me through! You helped me believe in myself, you helped me better understand my friends, and you helped me become a better person! You made me happy, and you made me feel good about myself!"

"These are the angriest compliments I've ever heard." Mickey couldn't help but quip. "What're ye tryin' ta say?"

"I'm saying to stop underestimating me! If you really believed I should follow what I want to do in life, then you should believe I can stand up to whoever wants me dead!" She shoved him away, and at last allowed him to stand. As he rose, Minnie's breathes deepened, and her thoughts settled. Whatever she had planned in the beginning of this confrontation had spiraled out of control, much like her life ever since she had met him. Her mind went at ease as did her voice, her clear eyes cool with certain clarity. "Whether I like it or not, you've become a part of my life, and I can't just let you go and pretend nothing ever happened. I don't even understand everything I'm feeling or saying right now. But I won't let go of what I do know." She raised her sword, pointing it at his chest. "I know you love me. You never stopped loving me." She then lightly poked one of his jacket pockets.

Mickey looked down, and his eyes widened. During the course of the fight, one of his pockets had become ripped, revealing one of the photographs of Minnie from Daisy. When had that happened? He bit his tongue as he felt stirring within his chest. His body trembled, and he lowered his head for a moment. He then wildly threw his head back, laughing uproariously at the setting skyline. He ignored the stares of his crew, because he couldn't have cared less of what they thought. He was a jerk. He was stupid. Only his darling little Minnie could have made him see that. He laughed until he could breathe no more, and then grinned, flashing off his gold tooth. "Aye, turtledove. Not fer a second."

The two smiled at each other, finding themselves back on the Hawkins. What had happened during that month could never be forgotten. It was beyond them now to change what they felt, and they had come to accept it. Even using the dangerous l-word had come easily to Minnie because no matter what insanity Mickey displayed or how impossible it was for him to feel it, she now fully accepted that he loved her. It wasn't head games, it wasn't pure lust, he had come to love her for everything she was and it made her happy to know this. It wasn't the love found in fairy tales or what she had thought she knew, but it was love all the same, miraculous and overwhelming and refusing to be denied. She had never truly understood what love could be, but now, yes, this was love. He loved her.

Mickey lazily dropped his sword onto the floor, and chuckled as he heard the moans of the losing betters. "And ye heard it here, mates, she loves me too!"

"I never said any such thing." Minnie was quick to retort, sliding her sword back into its scabbard. "And now that I've gotten my answers, you will take me back to land so I can go back to base and clear up what happe-_eek_!" She had been focusing on smoothing her outfit down and hadn't seen Mickey make a run for her until she was scooped up into his arms. "Put me down!"

"Aw, but I've been without me Minnie ferever!" He kissed her cheek and pressed his nose against her face, snuggling without her consent. "I need a good dose ta get me goin' again! How about a kiss befer we get ta land, huh?" It was astounding how easily he slipped back into his normal possessiveness, cooing and cuddling her like they hadn't nearly dueled to death. "I'm sorry I put ye through all that. Yer me big, strong, N.A.V.Y. lass, and I love ye fer it!"

"And you're an impossible selfish bilge rat. And you still smell." But Minnie allowed him to kiss and touch as he pleased, deciding that as long as he had apologized, he earned this bout of adoration. It wasn't that she missed these physical adoration, of course not. Why, the smile she was wearing was merely the thought of her winning a fight against a pirate, and nothing more. The comfort she took in his embrace was just her exhaustion from the fight. The happiness in her heartbeat was little more than… little more than…

Oh, it was so tiring coming up with all of these excuses. She was getting very sick of them. She allowed her mind to fall quiet and just enjoy the lavish attention bestowed upon her.

* * *

><p>Transporting a prisoner during the night always brought a sense of ominous dread to new women in the N.A.V.Y., and tonight was no different. Captain Jane had been designated to move Mirage to the ship that would take her to Alcatraz, and she could see her new subordinates fidgeting in fright. Feeling sympathy for the young women, Jane decided to handle most of the transfer by herself. She went into the interrogation building alone, where Mirage sat in the empty white room, not saying a word. Jane politely nodded a greeting as she entered the room, and then went to Mirage's side, grabbing her by the arms and forcing her to stand. Mirage's arms were kept behind her, her wrists chained together, as it was standard for all prisoners. As Mirage was moved, she could see a dangle of keys on a rung hanging from Jane's belt.<p>

Jane stood behind Mirage, and began to make her walk towards the door, which Mirage saw as closed. They were alone in the soundproof room. Mirage smirked, and then spoke calmly. "This is nothing personal." Jane paused, finding the sentence strange, and then everything happened too quickly to control. Though Mirage was chained, she could still move, and in seconds, her bound wrists moved backwards, grabbing the top of Jane's sword and removing it from the scabbard. Mirage twisted her body around, knocking Jane's hands off of her, and slicing directly up Jane's chest. Jane fell screaming, unable to tell if the wound was fatal, before Mirage pounced on top of her, pressing the chains down on Jane's throat.

There was no time to kill the captain, only enough to knock her off. This was enough for Mirage, and once Jane passed out, she snatched the keys and undid her restraints. She then stole Jane's pistol, and with the sword, left the room, disposing of the unfortunate female guards in the hallway. There was no time to ensure death for any of them, but that was fine with her. Death would have to wait, as would the revenge upon Amelia. She escaped into the cold night, leaving a bloody trail behind her, and whispering through purring teeth. "I'm coming for you, Magica."

**End Of Chapter Twenty-Seven.**


	28. Gears Versus Goals

Thanks for your amazing patience! All glory praise be to Lies, I could ask for no Christmas gift greater.

* * *

><p>Minnie faced no punishments when she returned to land, as it was deemed that she was kidnapped instead of demanding to be taken on board. She didn't know whether Clarabelle hadn't heard Minnie's demands to Peg, or that she had heard and hadn't told Amelia, but whatever the reasons were, the only thing she had to endure was the occasional astonished inquiry from other Privates that she had survived being on a pirate ship. Minnie was tempted to snap to them that of course she was alive and well, as she wanted to inform them of Mickey's vow not to kill, but defending the honor of a pirate was the last thing her reputation needed. Daisy happily welcomed her back with open arms, and told Minnie about the big news while the mouse had been gone – that Amelia had gone into labor, and delivered four healthy and beautiful children. Everyone in the N.A.V.Y. was happy for their captain.<p>

However, any time for baby showers and celebration would have to wait. Though Captain Jane expressed the same joy as the others, she still handed out assignments and expected them to be followed immediately. It wasn't said but it was understood that if she hadn't, Amelia would have marched out of the hospital and demanded to know what everyone was waiting for. A joke spread throughout headquarters that her children would likely dominate all the playgrounds. Minnie was glad to be among the company of girls who loved to gossip and giggle about babies and the future, as it grounded her in a sense of normalcy for a few moments. She knew it wouldn't last long, and soon she would be shoved back in the world of proposing pirates, mismatched millionaires, and the dangers of Doctor Thatch. Yet, she was also looking forward to returning to such adventures. Her last year in the N.A.V.Y. was slowly proving to be her favorite.

She was assigned to kitchen duty for a few days, and tried to keep her complaints about it to a minimum. Daisy and Clarabelle were busy with their duties, so Minnie was often left alone with her thoughts. She would lay awake in her bed, with Figaro purring happily near her cheek, thinking of the past, the present, and the future. The room seemed a lot quieter without Mickey around to try and cheer her up, making some absurd joke with his rum-smelling breath and then launching into a million excuses to give her a kiss. It came to be that whenever her thoughts were of him, and he seemed to invade her mind plenty these days, they caused her to smile. Though she still refused to admit she loved him, she knew he was loveable, and that he was capable of being loved for his good qualities. She could see what Ortensia desired.

It was difficult to pinpoint when she had allowed the word 'love' to form in her mind instead of childishly referring it to as the l-word. It had been a gradual process, much like their odd relationship, and she now allowed the word to take residence in her mind. Though she was content with this, she knew there were still a great many things she didn't understand about her feelings. What she needed was to ask the advice of someone who was in love, and had that love returned. She frowned in bed as she tried to form a list of those she knew, mentally crossing them off when she understood she couldn't ask for their opinion. Lately Daisy seemed rigid and broken whenever the discussion of Donald came up, whenever she allowed it to come up. Clarabelle was out of the question, since she and Horace were obviously in denial. Minnie hadn't seen Clarabelle in days and had no idea anything had changed between the cow and the horse.

Minnie tried to think of other friends she knew, but none who were in healthy and stable relationships came to mind. There was Captain Amelia, but to ask her about this issue would be as good as admitting what had happened with Mickey, and she may as well hand in her uniform. There was the possibility of asking her parents, but she had heard the story of how they had gotten together so many in times in her childhood that it had become more like a fairy tale than a real story. She sighed, knowing that there were more important things to think about than her feelings, as she needed to investigate Mortimer, Magica, the Justice Ducks, Thatch, the man with the cats, and by the time she tried to make a schedule of what to look over when, she mentally exhausted herself to sleep.

The next morning, she half expected to wake up with Mickey at her side, and blushed darkly at the implications of such an expectation. She was quick to get up, showering and dressing in minutes as she wanted to get to roll call early. She had just finished putting on her boots when the door opened, and in walked Daisy and Clarabelle. It was the first time they had seen each other since Minnie had first returned from the hostage situation, and she said their names with great happiness, rushing to hug them both again. They returned the embrace, but when she got a look at their faces, they were laced with worry and fear. Daisy held Minnie's cheeks to take a good look at her. "Are you okay, Minnie? How are you feeling?"

Minnie blinked at her companions for their terrified attitude. "I'm fine, of course." Had they already forgotten Mickey's vow? She stepped back from them, trying to show them that physically nothing had changed. "I always have that silly Mickey around my finger. You should have seen me on his ship!" It felt liberating to be able to tell someone what had happened, and she gestured around with imaginary sword thrusts. "My sword fighting is really improving! I almost had him begging for mercy! I finally got him to open up, and tell me what he was doing. Just like a man, to shut everything out and not say a word." She smirked at her friends, expecting chuckles of agreement, but was met only with the same fear.

Clarabelle looked to Daisy, hands clutched together. "She doesn't know what happened."

Minnie paused in her pretend game of pointing. "I don't know what happened?"

Daisy ground her beak together, her hands forming into fists but not angry at any one person. "They probably didn't want to scare her… but she needs to know!"

Minnie wasn't fond of being spoken about when she was right there to be spoken to. Pouting, she put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot to get their attention. "After everything I've been through, I really doubt a little gossip is going to scare me now! What did I miss?" She couldn't imagine what they were being so hesitant about, but given Minnie had survived a sword in the stomach, she felt nothing could frighten her anymore. Daisy and Clarabelle were just being melodramatic as always.

Clarabelle and Daisy exchanged another look, and then Clarabelle knelt down on one knee, to be on eye level with Minnie. This was typically done when Clarabelle needed to speak of something with utmost seriousness to Minnie, so the mouse finally began to feel a sense of urgency. Clarabelle spoke carefully, but the horror in her voice couldn't be controlled. "Mirage escaped from prison."

At once Minnie felt the sword in her back and saw it piercing through her body on the other side. She instinctively held herself to try and push the blade back out, thrown back into the memory of the worst pain she had ever endured. Her legs gave way, but Daisy was there to catch her and hold her close. Clarabelle joined the embrace, the three of them protecting each other from the bloody recollection of the days when it seemed Minnie would be lost to them forever. Even Figaro crawled away from the bed to rub up against Minnie's weak legs, sensing something was terribly wrong with his mistress. Minnie's breath was labored for a few minutes, with Daisy stroking her head and Clarabelle squeezing Minnie's shoulders. Eventually, she managed to regain the power of speech. "H… How?"

"She attacked Captain Jane." Clarabelle answered, using her know-how of gossip and everything that happened in the world of the N.A.V.Y. for good. "And wounded several other Privates. She stole their swords and no one's been able to find her. There aren't any leads, but the entire kingdom is being swept for her."

"We'll find her." Daisy spoke with conviction, her grip tightening on her friend. "And we'll make sure she's locked up for good. She's not going to lay a hand on you, I promise." Clarabelle squeezed Minnie's shoulder again to agree to the promise. Figaro mewed pitifully. Roll call was forgotten.

Minnie had a million more questions to ask, but knew that even for all of Clarabelle's information hunting, no comforting answers would be given. If what Oswald said was true, then because she and Mickey were not exactly 'apart', she would still be a target. Mickey would also be in the line of fire, and though he had shown himself capable of taking the cat down, that had only been when he had nothing left to lose. Now that he knew Minnie was alive and well, would he still be able to strike down a woman, despite the threat she carried? Simultaneously, anger and strength flowed through Minnie's veins. Mirage and her mysterious employer had no right to kill them, especially not because of their relationship. Though Minnie knew Mickey had an entire crew willing to protect him, she felt a need to be his shield. The man who vowed to never kill would not be killed.

Daisy and Clarabelle were surprised to see strength returning to Minnie's muscles so soon. "Yes, we will." Minnie raised her head, meeting Daisy's eyes. "We're going to find her and bring her to justice. That is our job."

"We?" Daisy echoed, easing her hold on Minnie to give the girl breathing room. "Minnie, you're the last person who should go after her! She's probably looking for you as we speak!"

"Then I'll make her job easier." Minnie stood up tall, though she was still trembling occasionally. She was still afraid, but she wasn't going to let fear keep her from doing what was right. She had faced death, and even defeated it. There was no guarantee that Mickey would be so lucky. Granted, it made little sense to defend him in the long run, since his death was inevitable as all pirates were sentenced to execution. Yet this line of logic didn't detail her resolve, and her trembling eased with resolve. "You're not going to leave me out just because I'm a target. We're doing this together." She waited for their agreement, and while she would have liked it, she didn't need it in order to after Mirage.

There was a pause, and then Clarabelle rubbed Minnie between the ears, mussing up her fur. "We've never been able to stop you before. Why start now?"

"Captain Amelia probably won't like it…" Daisy warned, but the smile on her beak showed her real feelings. "…But no one can order us to stop being your friends. We're in this together!" She held out a hand, and with Minnie and Clarabelle placing their hands on top of hers, they silently agreed to the symbol of unity. There would be no more secrets, and no more holding back. They couldn't afford to be tightlipped about anything now that death was so close. The girls smiled at each other, relieved to be in each other's company. So many terrible and terrifying things had happened during the course of the year, yet they nothing had damaged their friendship. Nothing in this world had the power to destroy the invincible.

The girls pulled apart, ready to head out. "We've got the cover duties from Jane, and real assignments from Amelia. We need to pick up from where we left off." She winked at Minnie's puzzled expression. "Captain Amelia is a part of this too. We'll explain on the carriage ride there… and I think it's about time you were told about her and Mirage."

* * *

><p>Halfway across the world, Gosalyn was enjoying the view of Italy from atop Morgana's shoulders. The little girl had been complaining about how her feet hurt, expecting her father to take the load and carry her. Morgana had offered to do it instead, and Gosalyn took it up, taking it as a chance to get to know Morgana better. She hadn't objected to the rushed marriage, and she liked what she knew about Morgana, but it still felt like she knew so little of her mother. The trio had found nothing else of value in the abandoned caverns, and Drake had decided they needed to return to civilized land as soon as possible to know what had happened to those strange flying metal eggs. They had made many guesses as to what the objects were, but nothing conclusive.<p>

Gosayln rested her head on top of Morgana's, noting the long white streak that stood out against the ebony. She knew what she was about to say wouldn't be tactful, but it'd get the ball rolling on conversations outside of flying metal eggs, as interesting as the topic was. "Hey, Morgana? How old are you?"

Drake stopped in his tracks, sputtering in startled audacity at what his daughter had just said. "Gosalyn!"

"What?" The accused shrugged. "Hair isn't supposed to turn white until people turn eighty or something! But she's only got a little white hair, so maybe she's some kind of weird fraction."

Drake groaned, ready to apologize profusely for his daughter, but Morgana was smiling and suppressing a laugh that might have knocked Gosalyn off the taller woman's shoulders. "It's not a sign of age, Gosalyn. A lot of women in my family are born with this trait. We're not sure why, it's a genetic question. But I like it. Gives it a little character." Though she couldn't see Gosalyn's face, she glanced up, hoping that was an approved answer. She sought to have Gosalyn's approval in many ways, knowing that to be a part of Drake's life, she needed to be a part of the daughter's. Morgana had easily come to adore the child, spunky and clever in her own ways, and could understand how a bond had formed between the two. It was still a little unnerving to be thought of as a mother, but with Gosalyn as her child, she welcomed the idea more and more each day. The very idea of this family was so radically different from her own childhood and living with Magica, which had been full of cruelty and dark expectations.

Gosalyn 'hmm'ed the matter over before coming to a decision. "Dad, when we get home, can I dye my hair purple?"

Morgana let her laughter fly that time while Drake shot Gosalyn a pointed look. "Absolutely not."

"Aw, but Morgana gets to have different colors in her hair!"

"She just said she was born with it! You were born a redhead, and so help me, you'll stay one!"

"You don't know that. Maybe I dyed it red before you adopted me. Would you believe me if I said I was born with green hair?"

The debate helped time to pass, with Morgana occasionally chiming in about what colors would like nice on Gosalyn. Their playful arguments were becoming second nature, and Morgana began to feel more as if she wasn't an outsider invading the family but actually becoming a part of it. Though Drake would stubbornly say for Morgana not to take Gosayln's side all the time, she could catch his quick smile, and could tell he was delighted for the two girls he loved more than anything in the world getting along so well. His fingers longed to hold her hand, but he wouldn't complain, since Morgana was using both of her hands to keep Gosalyn steady on her shoulders. Gosalyn's subjects of conversation bounced around, from hair colors to their future home to getting a piranha for a pet and, for what she thought were some very hilarious minutes, the possibility of future siblings.

The time zones between England and Italy greatly differed, and soon Gosalyn was yawning in between sentences. Morgana slowed down her walking, looking up again. "Gosalyn, dear, are you tired? Maybe we should stop and make camp."

"Nah." Gosalyn yawned again, closing her eyes and resting herself into Morgana's hair, mumbling as she spoke. "I'm fine, mom."

Morgana abruptly stopped walking, sharply turning her head towards Drake to make sure she had heard correctly. Judging by Drake's shock, followed by his wide smile, the parental name had indeed been used for the first time since Morgana joined them. Morgana copied his smile, feeling a unique happiness that threatened tears. She didn't think she would ever hear that magical word from Gosalyn's beak, and had come to accept it, being such a speedy shove into Gosalyn's life. Yet it had been said, and Gosalyn didn't appear to notice how important the admission was, as she mumbled again. "Why'd you stop?"

"N-No reason!" Morgana stammered and resumed walking, a few giggles escaping her throat. "We'll keep going, dear!" She didn't understand how one simple word could fill her with elation, but she didn't need to examine it either. Drake appeared to feel the same way, strutting forward proudly. The happy parents continued to walk through the jungle, all arguments evaporating as they kept reciting the special word in their head over and over. Drake could remember the first time Gosalyn had started calling him 'dad', and could imagine the same happiness beating inside of his beloved. He had also been worried about Gosalyn's acceptance of Morgana into their lives, but after hearing that, who needed to worry? They were a perfect happy family.

He was probably doomed the moment he dared to think of any aspect of his life as 'perfect', as he suddenly heard the clicks of pistols echoing from the trees. The owners of the guns then sprang from the trees, from behind the tall grass and foliage – dozens of armed men, donned in A.R.M.Y. outfits, aiming their pistols right at the family. Gosalyn had been snapped awake by all of the noise, flailing around until she wound up in Morgana's arms. Morgana held Gosalyn close to her chest, trying to shield her, and Drake tried to shield them in turn as he stood in front of his girls, though his shortness only guaranteed the protection of Morgana's lower half. The men didn't fire, but they kept a steady hold of their targets, awaiting further orders. Two men from the back of the group began to make their way to the front, though they weren't holding their pistols. Drake took a glance at the medals on the green uniforms and correctly guessed they were in charge of these troops.

"At ease." Said the first man, holding up a gloved hand. "What are you thinking, aiming these things at women and children?" The red rooster slowly lowered his hand, signaling that the other men should do the same. His accent was thick through his beak, and he smiled gently at the frightened family.

"And such beautiful women too." The green parrot to the rooster's side smirked, getting an eyeful of Morgana. He too carried an accent and carried kindness, not showing an ounce of ill intent toward them. "Good thing being pretty isn't a crime, _senora_."

Drake found the act of someone hitting on his wife more upsetting than having a pistol aimed at his face, so he haughtily marched forward, holding up his hand to show his wedding ring. "But in some countries, adultery is, so how about you keep those eyeballs back in your socket, Polly?"

The rooster laughed loudly at this, and then slapped Drake hard but friendly on the back, almost making Drake lose his balance. "Oh, _amigo_, you must forgive my friend! He always has his eyeballs on the women! I bet he wished he joined the N.A.V.Y. instead!"

"_Si_, but my legs don't look so good in a skirt." Jose didn't mind Drake's threat, pulling out a cigar from underneath his uniform and stuffing it into his beak. "And none of you look good here. See, all of you are in forbidden territory. Just being here is against the law, and I'm afraid we must arrest you."

Gosalyn, wide awake by now, pointed at the parrot. "But doesn't that mean you guys are breaking the law too?"

This gave the A.R.M.Y. birds pause, and the rooster scratched his head. "I think she has a point, Jose. Not even we are allowed here. Why is that, anyway?"

Jose shrugged, trying to find a lighter on his belt. "I'm not sure, Panchito. But I think we're allowed to be here. We're supposed to prevent people from coming in here."

"But we're here! Should we have prevented ourselves from coming in here?"

"How would we prevent ourselves from coming here and also prevent others from coming here?"

"Excellent question!" Panchito looked at his now very confused soldiers. "What do you guys think?"

One soldier pointed at the spot where the small family used to be. "I think we should go after them, sir."

Gosalyn's question had provided her father and mother with enough time to run back in the direction they had come from. Panchito and Jose hurriedly gave the others to give chase, though Panchito loudly noted "Just remember not to remember anything you see here!" The soldiers had the advantage, as Morgana, Gosalyn, and Drake's legs were exhausted from so many days of walking exploration. Drake realized this early on, and dug his feet into the dirt, ready to stop and distract the men long enough for his girls to get away. He was willing to take whatever they would give…

… And then _they_ fell from the sky.

* * *

><p>That same day, in a different time zone, Donald should have gotten out of bed by that point. Breakfast was being served, and there were many important things to do. Yet just like every morning since his big fight with Daisy, Donald didn't want to get up. He didn't want to face the world and all of its troubles, and wished to sleep forever and never face anyone or anything again. Since that disaster, Donald had struggled to stay on task, but he kept thinking back to the fight and as a result could hardly concentrate on anything. He could no longer aid in controlling Goldie's temper, allowed Donna to move into the mansion, and hadn't learned a single new thing about Magica and Scrooge. He groaned, tossing and turning in bed, still able to hear Daisy's angry voice yelling at him.<p>

He regretted some of the things he said to her, but not everything. The point he made about her seeing other men was still valid, and until they could talk about that, what they had couldn't be fixed. He was still very angry at her, yet he couldn't bring himself to hate her, nor to think of breaking off the engagement. He sighed, holding up his hand, gazing intently at his engagement ring. Maybe it wouldn't be up to him if the engagement was cancelled. Any day now, Daisy could call up to tell him it was over. He couldn't blame her, considering all the secrets he had kept from her.

He knew he was being selfish, and that his uncle needed his help. If Daisy broke up with him, Donald would just have to move on and continue with his life and the investigation. He didn't want to, though, and that was what chained him to bed. He didn't want to have a life that didn't involve Daisy. Despite her illicit cheating, she was still a good person. She cared about others, she was enjoyable to be around, and most importantly of all, she loved him for him, and not for his relation to money. What other girl would look past his many flaws and ignore his chances for a big inheritance, in order to see who he really was? So far only Daisy had tried. Girls like her were one in a million.

Donald could have easily stayed in bed all day, wallowing in self pity, when he heard a clamor of noise out in the hallway. Silverware was breaking, and Donna was screaming. Donald grumbled, guessing that Goldie was in one of her moods again. He forced himself out of bed, not bothering to smooth down his pajamas and feathers, and headed for the door. "I'm starting to see why Uncle Scrooge likes her so much." Big tempers ran in the McDuck family, so naturally Scrooge find someone even more hotheaded extremely attractive. He opened the door, and snapped before he saw what was going on. "Keep it down, will you?"

Goldie was raising hell, but it wasn't out of her typical tantrum. She was wrestling with a tall, hooded figure, while Donna was being tied up and gagged in the corner by a man who looked exactly like the one who was fighting with Goldie - the infamous Beagle boys. He could hear the injured cries of Ms. Beakly and Ducksworth though he didn't know where they were. Fear seized Donald, but his anger was much stronger, and he ran into the hallway, tackling down the one attacking Goldie. He went down easy out of surprise, and Goldie managed to smack the intruder's face with the butt of her empty shotgun. The one tying up Donna yelped in shock at seeing the assault, trying to pick up Donna in a panic. "Aw man, Magica didn't say all of these people were here!"

"You put her down!" Donald had no time to register what the villain said, racing towards the remaining Beagle Boy. The Beagle fled down the hallway, with Goldie and Donald chasing after them.

"They just burst into the house!" Goldie shouted as they rounded a corner. "There's dozens of these guys!" She shook her gun, showing that she had emptied them in trying to get rid of several of the intruders. "They're destroying the whole place and attacking everyone in here!"

Donald thought fast, keeping his eyes on Donna as she was getting further away, screaming hysterically from under the gag in her beak. In an instant, he remembered a prank his nephews played on him in this very same hallway years ago, and reached downward. "Get the rug!" Goldie didn't question it and also went down, grabbing the rug that stretched down the hall. Both ducks yanked on the rug, and up ahead, the rug went out from the Beagle's feet, tripping him so he landed face first on the floor, sending Donna rolling away. Donald and Goldie wasted no time in catching up to the kidnapper, beating him until he was unconscious. Goldie then went to work freeing Donna, but Donald was already on the move again, knowing there were at least three other household members unaccounted for.

In the grand and large living room, Ms. Beakly was backed up against the empty fireplace, with Ducksworth – already suffering a blow from the head that caused blood to roll down his cheek – wielding a fire poker and Ludwig – his glasses smashed and his body bruised – using an empty suitcase as a weapon. The men were valiantly trying to defend Ms. Beakly, but it seemed like the onslaught of Beagles to fight were endless. Their head honcho, the oldest with a growing beard was lazily sitting in Scrooge's chair, legs propped up on a footrest, and eating the breakfast that Ducksworth had prepared. Two Siamese cats were purring around the footrest, and they and their master were amused at the pitiful resistance. Donald ran to join them, but yet another Beagle grabbed him by the arm, and threw him into Ducksworth. They fell down in a heap, and the various Beagles debated what score the thrower should get. An 8.7 was decided.

Donna and Goldie joined them shortly, roughly shoved into the group by the same men. Donna hid behind Donald, and Goldie's shotgun was forcibly yanked from her grasp. Donald kept his eyes on who he assumed was the leader, sitting in his uncle's favorite chair. "Why are you doing this? Who are you people?"

The man licked the remains of syrup off his fingers. "I don't think it really matters that much, since you're going to die soon." He rose from his seat, and his cats circled his feet. "But it's been so long since my boys have had any fun! All right, who has ideas for how we should finish them?" The boys halted in their assault, throwing their hands in their air to offer their suggestions, ranging from hanging, drowning, and something involving fish hooks and Swiss cheese that Donald couldn't make out from all the shouts of agreement.

Donald could feel Donna holding onto his pajamas from behind, and he carefully look around at his friends and family. None of them would have expected an ambush on the mansion, since Scrooge could afford the finest in security. It then clicked together in Donald's mind – Scrooge had trusted Magica with the security system. He then remembered what Donna's attacker had said, and made the connection out loud. "Magica is trying to have us killed!"

"Trying? She's succeeding." Ducksworth winced as the pain in his head throbbed. "But why? She has Mister McDuck, what more could she possibly need?"

"Maybe she's tryin' to tie up loose ends." Goldie muttered, fingers sore without something deadly to hold onto. Even as she said it, they didn't all believe it. Killing off the remainder of Scrooge's family and servants didn't serve Magica any good, and had the chance of throwing suspicion on her, since the security system was designed by her. This was the act of a jealous madwoman.

The leader then snapped his fingers, agreeing to an idea Donald didn't hear. "So it's settled! Let's get started, and we can wrap this up before lunch." He then mulled over who to pick off first, murmuring a short game of 'eeny, meeny, miney, mo', before his finger settled towards Beakly. "All right, grab the fat one."

Ducksworth stood in front of her, aiming his poker out and growling with ferocity that Donald didn't think the butler was capable of. "Over my dead body, you wretches!"

The Beagle shrugged, indifferent. "Okay, you first. Then the fat one." A wave of laughter rippled throughout the many men, and they began to fully encircle the terrified group. The servants and family edged in closer together, determined to aide one another until their very last breath – save for Donna, who had promptly fainted. Donald could see some of the Beagles eyeing his expensive looking engagement ring, no doubt planning to pry it off his future corpse for extra cash. He clenched his hand, protecting the ring for what little time he could, wishing he could see Daisy's face one last time…

… And then _they_ fell from the sky.

* * *

><p>Minnie was rarely glad to go see Mortimer, but this was one of those times. She was going to finish the assignment she and Clarabelle were supposed to do before going on Mickey's ship, only this time Daisy would accompany them. Perhaps this time Mortimer would be more complaint to share his financial records now that his beloved fiancé had returned from the clutches of pirates. He must have been worried sick with her gone, though she had noticed he hadn't tried to contact her once since she returned. It was possible that he had been busy, but it still upset her that as far as she knew, he hadn't made an effort to see if she was okay. Daisy and Clarabelle had no reports of him trying to talk to either of them or any of Minnie's friends while she was 'taken hostage'.<p>

She tried not to think about it which became easy as the carriage ride to his house was filled with talk. They had decided to longer keep any secrets, and had told each other everything they had held back during the year. Amelia's relation to Mirage, the Justice Ducks, Mickey's past, all the fights and all the kisses and everything and anything in between, nothing was left out as they approached Mortimer's gates. As the carriage slowed to a stop, Clarabelle inhaled deeply, moving to open the door. "Then I guess there's only one thing left to tell you both." She exited the carriage and her friends eagerly followed to hear the final story of the day. "Horace and I… are a couple!" She then exhaled deeply, flustered with the admittance of her love, blushing deeply as she turned to look at her friends, expecting gasps of surprise and delight.

Minnie and Daisy stared blankly at their taller friend, waiting for more. Impatiently, Daisy replied. "… And?"

"And?" Clarabelle's happiness deflated, and she pouted as she loomed over her friends. "What do you mean, 'and'? Horace and I are dating now, this is big news! It's the beginning of a new era! Everything has changed!"

Minnie thought of how to put their thoughts gently, but then decided blunt was best. "Clarabelle… we knew you two would get together eventually. Everyone knew. You two have obviously been in love for years. Everyone's been able to see it. Daisy, Millie, Amelia, Jane, Gadget, Goofy, Peg, Pete…"

"Everyone in the N.A.V.Y. knew it." Daisy added, and then looked at the carriage rider, a pretty deer who was tending to the horses. "Fawn?"

Fawn didn't even bother looking at them. "Everyone in the A.R.M.Y. knew it. Everyone in the Kingdom knew it. Everyone in the world-"

"Oh, shut up!" Clarabelle shoved open Mortimer's tall, black iron gates, miffed that her romantic discovery wasn't as amazing as she thought it was.

Daisy and Minnie resumed following her, taking up each side. "We really are happy for you." Minnie tried to smooth things over with a smile. "You two were made for each other." That eased Clarabelle up, who walked with more joy in each step. "We know Horace will treat you very well. Right, Daisy?"

Daisy shot a hand into the air, struck with an idea. "I call being maid of honor!"

Clarabelle covered her face with her hands at the proclamation, trying to cover her darkening face. "D-D-Daisy! You're getting way too ahead of yourself!"

"Clarabelle's right." Minnie wagged a finger at Daisy, relieving Clarabelle for only a few seconds. "She can't decide that now. She has to choose between us and Millie!"

Daisy threw her hair behind her shoulder, defiant. "Not in the kingdom, not in the wedding. Those are the rules." Daisy and Minnie enjoyed their teasing games, grateful to at last have a chance be the ones to make the gossip queen go quiet. They managed to calm themselves as they approached the front door, where Mortimer was just leaving, his back to them as he was locking the doors.

What luck, to find him home so soon! Minnie called out to him, quickening her pace. "Mortimer! We need to talk to you!"

Mortimer dropped his key in surprise, and then scrambled to pick it back up in order to unlock the doors he had just locked. "W-what, again, so soon?" His hands were shaking, unable to put the key back in properly. "Oh, wow, that's… I'd love to, Minerva, but I'm really busy, I'll talk to you later!"

"Hold it." Clarabelle was at his left in an instant, grabbing by his shoulder and spinning him around a few times before making him face the girls. "You're not going anywhere until you answer our questions."

Mortimer looked around, desperate for an escape. "I don't think I have any answers-"

"No excuses!" Daisy was at his right, taking hold of his other arm, yanking him down until he was sitting on the ground. "First off, what do you mean so soon? It's been over a week since Minnie got kidnapped by those pirate thugs!" She and Clarabelle held him securely in place so he couldn't even fathom running away.

Mortimer uneasily turned his head towards Minnie. "…You were kidnapped?" At the very least they could tell he wasn't lying about his lack of information. They weren't surprised that he hadn't given her any thought or bothered to see how she was doing since he had last seen her. It was just aggravating to have those facts made clear as day, and Daisy and Clarabelle tightened their grip on him.

Daisy and Clarabelle could have guessed that Minnie was hurt, but the truth was that Minnie wasn't surprised at all. In fact, she didn't care, and raised a hand to signal to the girls to ease their holds. "We can discuss this later. We need to get the job done first." She marched up to Mortimer, getting so close to his face that a sneeze would have made their noses touch. "You're giving us your financial records, and you're telling us about every single interaction you've ever had with Magica DeSpell." There wasn't a tone of kindness or even a please in her demand. No longer did she care if he was upset by her attitude. Mirage's assault, combined with Mickey's confrontation, had helped Minnie clear up her denial about a great many things, and her feelings towards Mortimer was one of them. "Just because we're getting married doesn't mean I have to treat you any differently from any other civilian suspect. Am I understood?"

Mortimer regretted wearing his expensive suit that day, due to all the sweating he was doing now. He had finished a call with Magica, and was off to do more of her demands in exchange for more of her support, but one of those demands was to not sure their talks with anyone. The girls' glares said they weren't going anywhere without him talking. The men who were between rocks and hard places had it easy. What happened to the diminutive Minerva who would do whatever he said with no complaint, and went along with everything he did? She had been the perfect fiancé, quiet and agreeable and obedient. Now she was making demands of him, a bad quality in a wife. There would be no pirates to stop this interrogation…

… And then _they _fell from the sky.

* * *

><p>Magica was a frugal woman, and believed in cutting corners wherever possible. Deep below the enormous building in which her company worked, her latest prisoner was sitting in the same cell that Drake Mallard had been in not too long ago. There were still bits of dried blood in the cell, and some fallen feathers that this prisoner occasionally fingered in contemplation. Unlike Drake, there was no need to chain or beat this captive. He proved to be no trouble and offered no resistance. He had no information to offer, and was only an incentive.<p>

He sat on the dirty floor, running his fingers over a feather again, until he heard footsteps. He didn't bother to look in their direction and it wasn't expected of him. This aging man was blind, but he could perfectly hear the footsteps of a Beagle boy unlocking his door, grumbling how his brothers were off having fun at the McDuck mansion while he was stuck transporting useless old men. "Up and at 'em." The Beagle barked. "You're being moved around."

The man said nothing, moving slowly in his ragged robes. Cold cuffs captured his wrists, and the Beagle dragged him out of the cell, needing to lead him around as they left the cells. The Beagle couldn't stand the silence as they walked up the stairs, and he took a glanced behind him at the prisoner. "Is it really true that you're Mirage's man?" He and his extended family had seen pictures of the dangerous beauty, and the idea that she'd want to be with a blind, ugly old geezer was laughable. "Because… I don't see it!" He guffawed heartily as his joke, but the man still said nothing, making the laughter die off quickly. The Beagle grumbled. "What, are you deaf too?"

They continued up the stairs, but just as they reached the door, the man stopped. He lifted his head, going absolutely still. The Beagle tugged at the cuffs, trying to urge him to move on. "What's with the hold up?"

At last, the man spoke. "Something… is happening." His voice also revealed his age, deep and croaking in the back of his throat. "I can feel the vibrations from the ground. Something terrible is happening outside… something from above."

"It's England. The weather always sucks." The Beagle tugged him harder this time, forcing the man to move. "Get a move on!" The old man didn't resist this time, though his steps slowed down considerably. They left the dungeon, and the idea was to take him all the way to the roof, in order to board the man on a flying ship. But as they walked higher and higher up the building, the Beagle would eventually come across a window, and when he saw what the old man had warned of, he froze in his tracks. "W-… What in the world am I looking at?"

He said this… for _they_ were falling from the sky.

All across the Kingdom, far enough to interrupt Drake's chase and powerful enough to slam into Scrooge and Mortimer's mansion, they were falling. People screamed in fear, running as circular shadows descended from above, disrupting everyone's intended paths for that day. Amelia was checking out of the hospital with her babies, Mickey was planning his newest heist, Roger was knocking on the door of Valiant's office, Jane had to stop and catch her breath as she still hadn't fully recovered from Mirage's assault, Launchpad was just leaving the Justice Ducks hideout, Gadget was working on her latest adjustment to Minnie's steam powered skates, Horace was asking his friends about the right time to propose, Millie was boarding a boat to England, Goofy was meeting with Thatch's descendents, Mirage was seeking information in the pirate's black market, and Magica was waiting on the roof for the prisoner –

And each and every one of them stopped what they were doing to look at the sky, as metallic egg shaped oddities crashed into the land. The things Drake had accidently set free were now landing on top of houses, splashing into rivers and oceans, destroying buildings and endangering the lives of thousands for their sizes ranged from the size of carriages to famous flying boats. The rain of steel lasted for three minutes, but it felt as if a lifetime passed through the seconds of shock. Everyone's problems were now vastly shrunk and unimportant compared to the single question that was on every person's mind.

What were _they_?

**End Of Chapter Twenty-Eight.**


	29. Pages Versus Passages

Happy New Year! Let's welcome this new year by wishing thanks and good luck to my beautiful editor, Lies, as she faces a new semester.

* * *

><p>Millie had not forgotten how cold the autumns of England could be. Winter was dreadfully close, and anyone could feel it every time the wind blew. Fortunately, she had packed warm, and her hooded disguise was very comfy. In retrospect, though, she hadn't really needed the disguise, even if it wasn't much of one. She was just making sure to hide her face, as the future wife to the King of America would no doubt be mobbed by curious crowds. However, as she stepped off the ship and looked at her familiar city, she knew her presence was nothing compared to the Monday of Metal, as the papers had so deemed it. She could see the damage present all around her, and to see her beloved home so tarnished broke her heart.<p>

It had been several days since the horrifying day when the metal spheres had descended from the sky, and there was still no information about where they had come from or even what they were. Reports from around the globe announced while there were less than a dozen in America and only one or two in the other kingdoms, it was England which was barraged the most. One could not go three blocks without seeing one of the spheres and the damage it had done. Houses had been wrecked, causalities continued to pile up, and as Millie quietly walked off the pier, she could spot people still taking fearful glances up at the clouds, as if expecting another barrage to come any day now. Scientists had been flown in from around the world, but they could learn nothing, and no matter what weapon was used against the spheres, no one could crack them open. The A.R.M.Y. and N.A.V.Y. were struggling to keep civilians away, with guards at almost every sphere.

Millie frowned as she made her way through the city, swinging her suitcase lightly back and forth. She was planning to surprise her friends with her visit, but with this insanity, they would probably be very busy. She didn't want to investigate the Thatch angle by herself, and her doubts began to form lumps in her stomach. She swallowed hard, and made herself move forward, trying to think of progress. She couldn't just demand to go to the museum, as it was still owned by Scrooge, and he wasn't seeing anyone these days. Though she was seen was important due to her future marital status, she held no power as she was now. She wasn't even a member of the N.A.V.Y. anymore, as she had taken permanent leave to be with her true love. She didn't regret the choice, but it was going to make things a lot harder.

She passed by the famous McDuck Mansion, noting that only its left wing had been destroyed. Her stomach continued to twist and turn into strange shapes, wondering if she had any business here after all. The spheres and their damage were vastly more important than some notebook, but it was too late to turn back now. She walked down the street, struggling not to be distracted by every other wrecked building. It wasn't long before she came by Mortimer's mansion, and in his bad luck, he had gotten five spheres that left his house nothing but dust and rubble. Millie stopped in front of the black iron gates, peering curiously at the small group of N.A.V.Y. girls who were going around the spheres. In an instant, she recognized them, and all of her worries vanished.

"Girls!" She called out to get their attention, and she pulled down her hood to reveal her identity. There were only three girls at the mansion, and the only three that Millie really wanted to see. Their faces showed exhaustion and aggravation for only the faintest of moments, for when they saw Millie, they began to spring towards the gates. Minnie was the fastest, followed by Daisy and then Clarabelle, and when Millie got the gates to open, she hugged them in that order. She found herself flooded with questions, compliments, and information that she couldn't handle all at once. Eventually all the hugs and words took the strength away from her, and she wound up sitting on the ground, dizzy, still covered in cuddly embraces. "… I'm glad to see you too."

"We might be overwhelming her a little." Minnie managed to note while sitting comfortably in Millie's lap, not willing to let the poodle get up and leave any time soon. "Let's let her take the lead. I'm sure she's as excited as we are."

Millie lifted her head to look at the lack of a mansion. "… First off, is Mortimer alive?"

"Unfortunately." Daisy grumbled, earning her a quick but well meaning glare from Minnie. "We were all outside when it happened. He's staying with Minnie's parents for now."

Millie scratched her head, knowing that in Mortimer's love of money wasting, he probably had dozens of other places to retreat to instead of his bride's home. "What about his vacation house?"

"Smashed." Clarabelle pounded a fist onto an open palm.

"And his party boat?"

"Obliterated."

"How about his seaside home?"

"Wrecked."

"What about his-"

"He's fine, Millie, that's what's important." Minnie quickly got in, finding her temper rise with every mention of all the expensive spaces Mortimer had acquired. Mortimer had gone nearly comatose at the loss of his precious expenses, but once he thought about the insurance, he was easily back to his dapper annoying self. Not once had he even bothered to think about the danger anyone else had been in, nor had he cared about Minnie's parents and their well being until he was forced to live with them, and even that had gotten plenty of complaints from him. Lately, whenever she thought about Mortimer, she instantly went to his faults, and her anger would froth. It was not very becoming for a fiancé to find herself loathing her intended every time she thought of him, so she tried to change the subject. "What about you? What are you doing back here in England so soon?"

"Maybe she heard about Clarabelle and Horace finally getting together and wanted to beat me to being the Maid of Honor." Daisy refused to let that idea go, grinning at the intended reaction as Clarabelle's face turned scarlet once more.

"You mention a wedding one more time, and I'll kick your beak right off!" The cow tried to hide her reddening cheeks with her palms, putting Millie back in familiar times, remembering all the fun the girls had together, teasing and joking with one another.

Millie smiled wistfully, glad to be among her best friends, but as deeply as she desired to stay back in the past, the present needed them as a team. "Actually Daisy, I need your help about…" Wait a minute. She looked back to Clarabelle as the information clicked. "You and Horace finally got together? It's about time! Goofy and I were just saying-"

"Millie!" The three chorused together, trying to jar her back to what the dog had been trying to bring up.

"Oh! Right, sorry." Millie began to shift around, opening the dropped suitcase and taking out the book she had been reading to Goofy not too long ago. "Daisy, can you talk to Donald and get me into the McDuck Museum? There's something I want to look into." She opened the book to the very first page, and explained to the girls the link of connections from the museum robbery, Magica, and the mysterious vanishing of Doctor Thatch and his team. The girls silently exchanged knowing looks as the tale was told, forming connections and no longer able to deny any consequences over what had happened not only this past year, but in all the fifty years since the vanished expedition that led up to this moment. Minnie's heart in particular was pounding as ideas swirled in her mind. This was more than just robberies and piracy, this was something terrifying on a global scale, and all of it caused by one woman. Minnie even now believed the strange spheres had to be connected to Magica, though she had no proof of such a thing, as she had become so deeply frightened and paranoid that everything bad in her life lately was connected to the madwoman.

When Millie was finished, Daisy reached over to close the book. "I'd love to help you, Millie, but I can't ask any favors of Donald right now. We had a big fight…" She looked away, twisting the engagement ring that still remained on her finger. It had never occurred to her take it off. "… And ever since these things fell, no one has been able to find him or anyone who was in the mansion. They probably moved out, but I haven't been able to find a trace of any of them." She left it at that, not feeling it was right to tell her friends of her hysterical ideas that perhaps Daisy and Donna had eloped and run off to another kingdom to get away from Daisy…

Which was fine with her! Donna could have that irresponsible, life risking moron of a duck! They deserved each other! Then when Donald got himself killed doing those stupid heroics, it could be Donna who would suffer, not Daisy! It wouldn't be Daisy having sleepless nights, petrified at the thought of Donald breaking into buildings and getting shot. It wouldn't be Daisy feeling as if her heart was forcibly torn out of her chest with Donald out of her life. It wouldn't be Daisy going through the years of memories to try and find what went wrong between them and begging whatever force controlled destiny to bring him back to her even though she didn't deserve it. She hadn't realized her fingers had been digging into the book's cover until she felt three warm hands on top of hers that snapped her out of her teary frights. "…W-well. Like I said. I can't help you."

"But if we could read that notebook, I bet we could answer so many questions!" Millie gently whined, disappointed that she had failed in her miniature mission. "There has to be a reason why Magica wanted it! She hasn't had it moved from the museum, she doesn't want to draw attention to herself! And Scrooge must know what was inside it as well, since he helped find it! Why, he could have told her what it said before he put it in the museum, and that's why she had to have it!"

Clarabelle took Millie by the arm, trying to help her stand while Minnie hopped out of her lap. "Sorry Millie, but it's all speculation right now. We have no valid proof to go in the museum, and without Donald, we can't get in. No way Magica and Scrooge will let us in either. Scrooge never leaves her side or even speaks out without her say so." She looped a circle near her head with her finger – the 'crazy' symbol. "And even if we could, we can't just abandon our posts here! Captain Jane told us to guard over these things. Right Minnie?"

Minnie had already started running away from the group. "Come on, we can get to the museum before dark! I'll think of a loophole on the way!" The girls scrambled to follow her, shouting that she was going to be in so much trouble for this. Millie had missed this too, and suppressed her giggles throughout the chase.

* * *

><p>Earlier the very same day, Magica's air ship was smoothly sailing. The same could not be said of the interior of the ship. Magica couldn't stand be in the same room for more than five minutes, mumbling to herself, running her hand over her staff repeatedly, shooting dangerous looks at anyone who dared to cross her path. She would lash out at random to a crew member who she said was plotting against her, despite them having only asked if she wanted some lemon with her water, and had them thrown in the brig. The one man already in the brig, the blind man who was being transported from Magica's building the day the spheres fell, didn't mind the company. He would make polite conversation, and some of the men preferred to stay with him than return to the upper decks.<p>

The three remaining mad scientists also happened to be on board, though they smartly kept their distance, until, on one particular day she and they were outside as the ship sailed. Magica could see something off in the distance. She suddenly ran to the first man she could find, and the unlucky man of the hour happened to be Elmo Sputtspark. "You!" She snapped, tugging down hard on the collar of his lab coat, causing him to choke. "What is that!" She used her staff to point towards the faint object that blurred in her vision.

Elmo gagged, but managed to get his neck free so he could speak. "Another ship?" He did his best not to point out of the obvious, as what else would be up so high? "This is your private airspace, so it's probably one of your own ships." Everyone working under Magica knew full well she hired pirates to do her dirty work. He looked at the ship, as he could in fact see it was a ship. The blur and illusion of distance was all in Magica's eyes, which wouldn't surprise Elmo if he knew about it, for her eyes were bloodshot and often contained the eerie glow that copied the jewel atop her staff. "Yeah, I recognize the flag. It's the Mousketeers."

"Mouseketeers." Magica repeated, blinking several times to try and align her vision. "Mouse… Mickey." She then inhaled deeply, her eyes doing the familiar glow again, and Elmo began to step backwards. "That… that mouse. He wants to marry a Private. _That!_ That troublesome mouse… mice… both of them. Can't be trusted, no, no, can't be… _Go_!" She then grabbed Elmo by the arm, violently shaking him. "What are you waiting for?"

"A coherent sentence?" Elmo found her couldn't pull his arm away from the painful grip as her nails dug into him. "What do you want, Miss DeSpell?"

"_Attack_!" She screeched, and then shoved him hard enough for him to fall down on his back. "Sound the attack! Get them, get him, now! Nothing must be found, nothing must be left behind! I've come too far… too near… too close! Go!" She began pacing and forth, muttering quietly, holding herself and then flailing around in as much space as she could take up.

Elmo opened his mouth, ready to ask why she was going to attack not only one of her own ships, but a ship that was full of pirates that had never broken her trust, but then questioned his own sanity for even thinking that. No one dared to question Magica's orders if they wanted to live, no matter how absurd they sounded, and with each day they were more disturbingly absurd. Many had come to envy Morgana for getting away when she could. Still, as long as money and power were part of the deal, the dark hearted members of Magica's company continued to obey her. That was why Elmo got to his feet, and began to sound the alarm, preparing the ship for battle. After all, it wasn't as if they were wholly unprepared for a fight. Magica's ships tended to have enough illegal black market weaponry on board that could satiate a nation of pirates. Combine that with the host of beagle Boys that were now a vital part of every plan, and Elmo knew the Mousekteers would have a run for their money. To be with Magica was to be invincible.

Yet Elmo still planned on finding a one way ticket out of the kingdom when he saved up enough vacation days.

* * *

><p>On Mickey's ship, today dubbed 'The Rainbow Connection', the captain was taking a nap in the crow's nest. Even though it was freezing to be up so high and not exactly comfortable, he still thought it was an ideal napping place for it was the one place he wouldn't have to face Ortensia. Ever since she had confessed her deeper feelings for him and kissed him, the two had been unable to make eye contact or hold a conversation longer than fifteen seconds. The awkward tension could be felt all over the ship, and even those who had found Ortensia annoying took pity on her, hoping the siblings could patch up. Even Oswald, enjoying their separation as much as a desperate lover could, began to worry about the state of their family. He thought about these matters of things as he swabbed the deck.<p>

The state of their family… it really wasn't just Mickey and Ortensia that were a family, he decided as he looked around. Mickey treated every member of his crew as if they were a brother or a sister. Oswald had grown up in such a cold embrace of family that he was unused to the concept of care between siblings. Mickey even treated Pete kindly, when the occasion called for it, and Pete would obey his orders in turn. Oswald paused, his grip on the mop loosening. As much as he was loathe admitting it, Oswald was also being treated very decently by the man he once blamed for all of his life's problems. Mickey could have easily abandoned him off at any port, treated him like a slave, or just shot him, but instead the mouse had given the rabbit shelter, food, and responsibilities. Oswald looked down at his arms, the arms that once belonged to a weak and placid nobleman, and noticed they now contained strength and muscles, no doubt thanks to all of his hard labor and involvement in fights.

He heard footsteps, and looking straight, he saw Ortensia standing near the mast, her eyes on the crow's nest. When Oswald had first joined the ship, he would have been more than happy to slap an arm around Ortensia's shoulders and yap on about all of Mickey's faults in order to win her over. Now as he approached her, his first intention was not about his feelings for her, but about how she actually felt. Her bond with Mickey was a necessary thing, and while it could not be what she wanted, it needed to be restored as best as it could. "Ortensia?" She glanced over at him, no longer spitting insults at the rabbit any chance she had. "Look… I know this is probably not what you want to hear right now, but - "

Ortensia was saved when a hard tremor came over by the ship, following a small explosion of fire and smoke on the ship's side. Oswald was almost knocked off his feet, but Ortensia regained her balance quickly, holding Oswald by the shoulders to keep him steady. "That was cannon ball fire!" She shoved him hard to get him walking, trying to spot where the attack came from. "Mickey said we were safe in this air space, what's goin' on?"

Mickey had already begun climbing down from his napping place using a rope, giving orders as he sped downwards. "Man yer stations! Don't just stand there, prepare fer battle!" People scattered to grab weaponry and board up the rooms, and Mickey headed for the stairs, shouting upward at his men. "Pete! Who's layin' inta us?"

Pete firmly stood his ground, though his mechanical body shook when another cannonball was fired, holding up a telescope to his good eye. "Blow me down, it's one of Miss DeSpell's ships! I'd recognize those flags anywhere!"

"What?" Mickey grabbed onto the railings as a third cannonball pelted his ship, and understood there was no time to ask questions to those who couldn't answer him. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled high, signaling to Pluto. The dog understood the signal, grabbing his master's hoverboards with his mouth and running up to him. Mickey yanked it out of his jaws, though made sure to give him a quick pet for a job well done, before resuming his shouting duties. "Pete, man the ship! Oswald, Ortensia, yer with me!" He threw the other boards at them without waiting for their reaction. "Grab what goods ye can find, and then get back ta the ship. I'll be dealin' with DeSpell." He had enough bones to pick with her that he could make an entire skeleton.

The cat and rabbit obeyed without hesitation, jumping overboard and flying with Mickey to Magica's ship, tossing the boards aside once their feet met her floor. Mickey spotted his former employer heading to her quarters and gave chase, yanking out his yo-yo to deal with any Beagles that got in his way. Oswald and Ortensia, using his sword cane and her fist full of claw knives, made quick work of any villains in their way, heading below deck.

Mickey threw the toy to wrap it around Magica's arm, forcing her backwards and making her look at him. "Ye ain't goin' nowhere 'till ye tell me why yer attackin' me ship!" Had he not been so fueled by anger, he too would have noticed her bizarre physical condition. "We had a deal!"

"My ship!" She hissed, and then grabbed the metallic rope on her arm, pulling it in to drag Mickey even closer. "You have it! Can't trust you with it… gave it to you, but, yes, _Private_!" She then shook her head violently hard, and her eyes cleared for a moment. "I can't have someone like you working for me! Someone who's going to marry a Private! You'll ruin everything! Every last piece of evidence… has to go!"

"But I told ye about me weddin' plans months ago!" It became a tug of water between the two, him trying to drag her to his space, and her doing the opposite. "Yer only havin' problems now? She's got nothin' ta do with me doin' yer dirty work!"

"You put her above me!" She suddenly socked Mickey square in the nose, making him release his yoyo to hold his face. "Nothing is above me! Nothing and no one! Obey me, or die!" She pulled off the remains off the yo-yo on her arm and threw it on the ground, and then fled into her quarters. Mickey tried to go after her, but he underestimated just how large the Beagle family was. He was forced to put all of his concentration on defending himself, marveling at how genetics were clearly the Beagle's playthings.

Oswald and Ortensia were having an easier time down below, as very few crew members were protecting the prisoners. Oswald slowed to a halt, recognizing what a brig looked like from his time on Mickey's ship. "Let's go back, there's nothing good here."

"Wait!" Ortensia spotted a familiar figure in one of the cells, and ran up to approach it. "No way… Phasir, is that ye?"

The blind old man rose, having been calmly sitting ever since the battle began. He approached the bars of his cell, looking to where the voice came from. "Youthful Ortensia. I doubt such a spirit as yourself would be captured so easily." He spoke very kindly and smiled fondly as he spoke to her. "Do not let yourself be so distracted, lest you wish to join me in this cold place."

Oswald ran through his brain, trying to remember the name. "Phasir… Hey, I remember now! You mentioned him when trying to rattle Mirage!"

"Aye, he's a good friend." Ortesna began to use one of her knives to dig at the lock. "And if Magica wants him, I ain't doubtin' that Mirage is connected ta this somehow. Hang on, Phasir, we're gunna getcha outta here."

Oswald fearfully looked from where they came from, thankfully seeing no one coming down to chase them just yet. "Are you crazy? We can't waste time with this, and we don't have enough hover boards to bring him back! And what makes you think Mickey will even want him on the ship?"

The lock clattered to the floor, and Ortensia swung the door open. "Mickey accepts everyone who wants in. No one gets left behind or fergotten. Phasir, yer comin' with us, end of story!"

"I see your stubbornness has kept strong." Phasir walked out of the cell, keeping close to the voices. "Very well. I will tell you how I came to be Magica's prisoner when the time is right. My absence will be noted, so we must move immediately." Ortensia took his hand, and Oswald realized that the aging human was blind and not just wearing the rag around his head as a bizarre fashion statement. If Ortensia was to guide him around, she'd be open for attack.

Oswald bit his lip, and then swung his cane around. "All right, I'll clear the way! Let's get the geezer going, follow me!" He sped up back the way they came from, haphazardly slicing his sword at anyone who came close. Whoever this Phasir was, he must have meant a lot to Ortensia, and there would be no use arguing with her now. He cleared the stairway, and heard his friends following close behind. When they came back on deck, Oswald could see Mickey taking on five Beagles with his blade drawn and making sure to never take a strike that would take a life. Despite this ship betraying Mickey, despite being filled with men who wanted Mickey dead, the mouse would keep to his vow and not kill. That was a man would who definitely welcome Phasir aboard. Something welled up deep within Oswald…

It took him a few seconds to acknowledge the feeling, begrudgingly, as respect. The battle came to Oswald, as he swung, he knew he too could fight without killing anyone. He could be as good as Mickey, he would prove it! So long Oswald had focused on beating Mickey and becoming superior to him, but as the blows were met match for match, the rabbit knew now what he really wanted. He didn't want to be better than Mickey – he wanted _to be_ Mickey! Someone loved unconditionally, someone respected and admired, someone who people would follow, and most importantly of all, Oswald wanted to be as good as Mickey. To be his equal, to stand by his side, there would be glory in that! Oswald held his blade aloft, wanting suddenly and desperately to be acknowledged by his family, and not the family of his blood, but his new one, the one where he could call Mickey his –

Searching pain hit his arm as a shot rang out. Oswald fell over, surprised by the hit, dropping his cane and clutching his bloody arm. He heard his name being screamed, but couldn't tell who, as a heavy boot stomped on the back of his head, preventing him from getting up. He struggled to see who it was above him, and saw a blend of green and gold – those were the colors of the A.R.M.Y.! But what were they doing here? He heard the soldier read him his rights, keeping a foot digging into Oswald's back. He could see Mickey scooping up the hover boards and giving them to Ortensia and Phasir, shouting at them to retreat. Ortensia wasn't having it, howling about Oswald and how they needed to go back for him, but Phasir forcibly took her over his shoulder, and the last thing Oswald saw before another boot to the head knocked him out was Mickey's pained expression. 'No one gets left behind or forgotten?' thought the rabbit, and then the world was black.

Elmo stayed in his room, his back pressed to the wall. Since he was a man of great importance to Magica, his quarters had a phone, which he had used to call the A.R.M.Y. for help, but even he was surprised at how fast they had arrived. That could only mean Magica had driven them out of the private air space, and into public territory. A woman who owned her own ships was supposed to have the spaces of air memorized, and weeks before, one could not have doubted she knew the skies well. Elmo slowly sank to the floor as the implications of her mind unraveled. "Oh, we are in big trouble. I need to get my hands on that crystal and stop this before it goes any further."

* * *

><p>During the day the spheres rained, the Beagles had been so utterly terrified that they fled McDuck's mansion without harming any more of the family or servants. Donald took it upon himself to contact Launchpad, and with his help, get them into hiding, so another assault couldn't be tried. Since Launchpad was a former member of the A.R.M.Y., he had plenty of friends to call on for help. The same day that Millie returned to England, Donald decided to return to being PK, and knew where to go. There was no time to be depressed about Daisy potentially leaving him, as the assault from the Beagles told him that for all he knew, Daisy could be next. He would protect her at any cost, and when he donned his costume, he set out for the McDuck museum.<p>

Doctor Thatch's notebook had to provide answers, and Donald was sick of having so many questions. Night fell as he approached the museum, sneaking to the back, and began to climb. He expected Magica's security system to jump into action and sound the alarm, yet the night remained quiet as he climbed up. It was curious, but not something to be distracted by, with his fingers painfully digging into the bricks as he headed up. He knew the floor and room the notebook had to be in, as it had been in the news for so long when Mickey broke in so long ago. The window had been since repaired, but Donald had no problem smashing it, a little amused that when this was all over, Scrooge would probably hire Donald to clean up this mess again. He then climbed in, avoiding the glass shards, but froze in his tip-toeing when he saw he was not alone.

In the same room, there stood Minnie, Daisy, Clarabelle, and Millie, staring off against Mickey, Ortensia, Phasir and Pete. They had been ready to face off against each other when Donald broke in, and now all eyes were on him. He nervously smiled, wringing his black cape in his fingers. "… Oh, don't mind me. As you were."

"Oh, for goodness' sake." Minnie returned her pistol to its holster. "We're not even supposed to be here anyway, so just let us grab the notebook, and you can rob or vandalize or whatever it is you want."

"Sorry, turtledove." Mickey shrugged, and waved to his crew to put down their weapons. "We're here fer it too." Mickey had also managed to make the connection to Magica and the notebook, and since there was no longer any attachment between them, he had decided to get back at her by seeing just what she had initially wanted so badly. It was his crew that managed to shut off the security in the museum, while Minnie and her pals had made sure no one else was around.

"So am I!" Donald grumbled, crossing his arms and avoiding eye contact with Daisy, and she was doing much the same. "I'm not even going to pretend I know what's going on in your heads, but if we all start fighting, someone outside is bound to notice."

"Then I think there's only one thing we can do." Minnie headed to the notebook, picking it up. "All of us are here because of Magica and her plans. So we're all going to read this together… and then we tell each other everything that's happened since this place was first robbed. Right now, we're all connected. Are we agreed?" Cautionary looks were exchanged, but there was a general consensus. "Good. Tonight, we're all allies." She did her best to ignore Mickey's charming smile at the admittance, and opened the book, reading out loud. Not everything was legible, and there were some pages ripped out. This was what they were able to make out.

**Day X of XX, year XXXX.**

**It's amazing what people will do for money. I can tell that half of my crew doesn't believe what I know is here, yet here they are, willing to dig and explore. I'm sure I'll convince them in time. After all, all stories have their origins, and even the greatest of imaginations need a spark to get them started. Atlantis is not some fairy tale, and when I can prove it, my wife will allow me to see our child again. I still can't fathom why they would make those accusations... experimenting on my own family! What madness! Surely her parents must have driven her to say these things. That is why I must find Atlantis, so I can be with my family again.**

**Day X of XX, year XXXX.**

**These catacombs are endless! There is so much to see! I cannot sleep, for the thrill of it all keeps my eyes open at all hours! Some of the men have jokingly told me they owe their friends back home money, as they bet they would find nothing. I can't even get mad at them, for this discovery is too wonderful to feel anything else. For its time, this city is startlingly advanced. They used water and steam for power, a beginning for our own steam powered times. Yet we can't help notice the oddities. Some of these buildings don't look manmade, yet if the timelines are right, even they wouldn't have the technology to have built them. It's a confusing matter, but we'll get to the bottom of it. Naturally, the biggest question remains – what happened to them?**

**Day X of XX, year XXXX.**

**Today we located these large, circle shaped metallic… I am not quite sure what to call them, as I've never seen anything like them. They range in enormous sizes, nothing we do can open them, and their inscriptions appear to describe something about races, and that the scepter we found among them must not be touched. Though we did not touch the scepter, we could not ignore the violet jewel lodged on top of it. We managed to extract it without damaging moving the scepter, so no harm should come to us. We will start experimenting on it in the morning… this may well be the energy source we've been searching for!**

**Day X of XX, year XXXX.**

**We've worked a full week on this, ****and it appears this crystal works as a sort of battery. Though further experimentations may tell me otherwise, right now it appears it can run to the infinite. We've only located one so far, and there are no signs or traces of more crystals in the immediate area. However, one of my men doesn't appear to be working as hard, and I'm starting to suspect he's hiding something. I'd like to believe I'm being strictly paranoid, but after seeing what this crystal can do the mind… there is cause for unease. Some of the men's eyes are starting to change color that matches the crystal. I believe it's time I limited their exposure.**

**Day X of XX, year XXXX.**

**The man I suspected of being lazy turned out to be something else altogether. My hand shakes as I write, I still do not wish to believe it… he accused one of the others of having an affair with his wife, and then murdered him, trying to make off with the crystal. We managed to catch him, but then, suddenly, some of the other men began to obey his commands. Their eyes shared the same glow, and… it was a bloodbath. This crystal… this dangerous thing… the user can use it to control the minds of others, and I fear that is not the only thing it can control. This may be the only record of the world before the change.**

**Day X of XX, year XXXX.**

**We should have never come here, and I can only blame myself for dragging us into this hell. I now fully understand this crystal's powers, and why Atlantis was abandoned. No one man should have this much power. I have managed to fatally wound the user, but he struck me in return. I know I will not make it back home. However, this is for the best. Should this power fall into the wrong hands, not only can another's mind be controlled, but they will awaken the great second race. The crystal drives the user mad, and even I cannot bring myself to destroy it. Its power will soon seduce me too. I'm sorry. I am forever sorry.**

The last page was a detailed sketch of the metal spheres that now plagued the city.

* * *

><p>That same night, Captain Jane was growing sick of the pitying looks everyone was giving her. She hadn't been as badly injured as everyone was thinking. She was still working, after all! Though she was a Captain, there were people she also had to report to, and she and other Captains from both the N.A.V.Y. and the A.R.M.Y. were to meet with them. They were meeting inside the A.R.M.Y. headquarters, and as she entered the room, she saw the meeting was just about to get started. She saluted in greeting, before taking her side of the long board room table. On her side were four other captains, on the other side were four captains of the A.R.M.Y, and at the end of the table sat the two generals who controlled the entire military organization for all of England.<p>

The N.A.V.Y.'s General, Helga Katrina Sinclair, was a beautiful blonde whose presence demanded both admiration and a good level of fear. Her hard eyes drilled into Jane. "I take it you will be informing Amelia of everything we will be discussing here tonight."

"Yes, General." Jane togged a pen to her notebook, to signal she was ready to take down any and all events. "And once we're done, I will contact her immediately. I'm sure she will support all the decisions made."

"How comforting." The man to Helga's side dryly commented. That was General Lyle Tiberius Rourke, and he commanded just as much respect and unease as his partner. "We do not need the approval of one Captain to know our ideas are strong. Is there anything else you'd like to comment on, miss?" His disapproval of women in the military was also made evident, and Jane didn't say another word, not wanting to hear more misogyny. "Now then… we've gotten reports of civilians trespassing into dangerous and forbidden territory down in Italy. It turned out they were part of something called the Justice Ducks… one of those vigilante groups."

"For now, we've managed to keep it quiet." Helga continued, though Rourke looked annoyed that he couldn't do the full explanation himself. "But we can't keep letting the public think we as a military are so weak that these kinds of vigilantes can do as they please. If people are forming vigilante groups, they must think we're not doing a good enough job with the threat of pirates… and given this week's scare with those metal…" She trailed off, trying to form the right word for the things that had fallen from the sky.

Rourke took the chance to become the center of attention again. "The public is terrified, and they need to be able to trust us again. We also need to show both vigilantes and pirates that the military is something to be feared. In order to do all of this… we will be holding a public execution here in England, preferably in December."

"A public execution?" One of the N.A.V.Y. Captains suddenly stood to attention. Helen Parr, a slim brown haired mother, slammed her hands on the table. "That's barbaric! We'll be no better than pirates who shoot each other in the streets!"

Her outrage was joined by Captain Lucius Best, an A.R.M.Y. man who was skilled with water and even better with calming rough situations. "This is going a step too far… December? You've got tons of months in the year, and you go with the one with all the major holidays? No kid is asking Santa for a hanging. There's got to be a better way to assert authority."

Rourke slowly smiled, but no one in the room took it mean a sign of happiness. He was being entertained by their quant notions of defiance. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear before… we don't need your approval. You are here to listen to orders, and then decide how best to follow them. If you don't want in, then by all means, hang up your badges and go home."

When Lucius frowned but went silent and Helen went back to her seat with glaring eyes, Helga pushed forward a manila folder, opening it up so they could all see the pictures inside. "In order to have the most effective message, we've already decided which pirate to focus our capturing efforts on." Jane's eyes widened, and she silently mouthed the picture's name. "Captain Mickey has been known by his vow never to kill. But we must show that the law makes no exceptions. Piracy is piracy. We will find him, we will capture him, and come December, we will hang him for all of England to see."

Rourke stuck out his lower lip in a pout. He wanted to say the dramatic lines, darn it.

**End of Chapter Twenty-Nine.**


	30. Leaving Versus Staying

As always, praise be to my glorious and beautiful editor, Lies!

* * *

><p>There are a renowned number of doctors who will tell you that alcohol won't cure headaches. Yet Mickey continued to shake the empty bottle of rum over his wet lips, uselessly hoping that maybe just one more drop would help clear his head. No amount of shaking would create another drip, and he grumbled, dropping the bottle to the floor, and flopped backwards onto his bed. He knew that the rum wasn't going to help him any, but it had been a good distraction for a few minutes. Now that it was over, he was faced with too many facts to handle. Where could he even begin?<p>

Magica DeSpell had traveled to Atlantis, stolen a crystal that could control minds, and was losing her own mind after too much use. Because of her obsessive love for Scrooge McDuck, she had him kidnapped and controlled, and now was seeking to destroy every single piece of evidence that could tie her to what she had done. She had used the mad scientists to test the crystal's powers, and there was a strong possibility she could start using it on others. It had been Clarabelle who pointed out that for all of their evidence, there was little they could use, since a good chunk of information and witnesses were tied into piracy. With the strict laws against piracy, anyone could be locked up and executed for working with a pirate, no matter how vital the information was. Until Minnie and the girls could prove Magica's wrongdoings without also proving they never learned a thing from the pirates, they were at a dead end.

It was a lot of nonsense that Mickey didn't understand, but he had been able to pick up what he believed to be the most important part of the explanation. Magica wanted Mickey and Minnie dead, and she would stop at nothing to see it happen. Then there was the fact that Oswald had been taken in by the A.R.M.Y, and would be executed by the same laws that prevented Mickey from helping Minnie bring Magica to justice. He also couldn't forget that Mirage was loose somewhere in the city, bloodthirsty for everyone who had wronged her. Then there were the strange metallic orbs ,and then there was the fact the girl he thought of as his sister was actually in love with him, and then – Mickey groaned, putting an arm over his eyes. It was too much. It had been several days since he learned all of this, and it was still too much.

He heard the door creak open, and sighed, not willing to get up and address the intruder properly. Instead, he lazily shifted around until his head was hanging upside-down off the bed. "What is it now?"

Ortensia and Phasir stood in the doorway, faces equally grim, though in Mickey's vision they were equally smiling, which amused him for a few faint seconds. Ortensia avoided eye contact, and her voice was soft, one hand loosely hanging onto Phasir's sleeve, as if she was a little girl trying to avoid being punished. "Phasir wanted ta talk to ye." Mickey grunted, which Ortensia took to mean 'okay', and closed the door behind them. Though she had said it was Phasir's intention to talk, she took the first turn of the conversation. "What are we gunna do, Mickey? With Oswald and Magica and Mirage, everything's a real mess! Can't we do somethin'?"

"If I may." Phasir lifted a hand, and Ortensia quieted down. His head turned towards Mickey, and he nodded respectfully. It gave Mickey pause, wondering how the blind man could have known which direction Mickey was from a single grunt. "I wanted to speak to you about Mirage… and to apologize on my own behalf. Had Ortensia not taken time to help me escape, perhaps Oswald would not have been captured. I would change our positions, if I could."

Mickey managed to pull himself up into a sitting position, glad to focus on one problem at a time. "Oswald'll be all right fer a while. Got that big noble family and all… and they'll probably try ta squeeze some info outta him."

"He won't say a word!" Ortensia interjected, easily driven into her defensive nature. "He won't! Ya gotta believe in him, he won't tell 'em anythin' about us!" Her fingers balled into fists, ready to fight and argue anyone who dared to say otherwise.

Mickey smirked halfway, feeling relief at his sister's change of affections. "Didn't say he was gunna." Ortensia's cheeks pinked, and she was again silenced. Mickey would have taken much more delight that she was concerned for Oswald, neatly solving at least one of his problems, but it was rude to ignore Phasir any longer. He cleared his throat, and began to slide off his bed, wanting to help the blind man find a seat. "All right, what's yer deal with Mirage again?" The question was suddenly forgotten as to his surprise, Phasir easily found Mickey's usual seat, spun it around, and then calmly sat down, looking directly at Mickey. It left the captain dumbfounded.

"I'm not actually blind." Phasir answered the unasked question, and raised a hand up to touch the sash that was wrapped around his head. "And I can see through this just fine. The truth is I was born with only one eye. But people tend to show more kindness at a disability less hideous." There was no bitterness in his voice, it was just a fact of life had had adjusted to. Mickey took a quick glance to Ortensia, and judging by the lack of surprise in her expression, he realized she'd known already. "I lived in the Kingdom of Africa as the advisor to the king. I served him faithfully for many years, and had I not met Mirage, I would still be there to aide him. But… destiny works in mysterious ways. We were meant to interrupt each other's lives."

Mickey would have rolled his eyes, but he remembered that Phasir would have seen them. Ortensia took over a little while. "I was there a few years ago meself. Still tryin' ta learn the ways of piracy, and still pretendin' ta be a boy. Mirage and I came to Africa on the same ship, and her reputation was the same as it is today… a vicious harlot who'd shake yer hand and then stab ye in the back faster than ye can blink." Frustration was built into these memories, and she swiftly took out one of her small knives, cleaning her claws so she'd have to avoid Phasir's face. "She and I agreed ta sneak inta the King's castle fer a good robbery, but then she sold me out. She went right up ta Phasir and told him what I was gunna do, in order ta get a good deal fer herself."

"Instead of taking them to jail," Phasir continued on, not sharing Ortensia's anger. "I hid them in my home. If all they wanted was money, I had plenty to give them. But their ship was exposed and other crewmates found, so the entire Kingdom was searching for the remaining pirates. They had to stay in my house until I could find a way to get them out of Africa safely. Many long months passed…" A faint smile came on his withered lips, gesturing gently to Ortensia. "And I learned many things about my guests, such as their real identity, and their attachment to their families." Ortensia shrugged, trying to pretend to be indifferent, but even she couldn't resist the urge to smile back. Mickey leaned against his bed, curious about the good times they must have had and the bond that was built between them. But this was not a story for Ortensia, as Phasir's voice became darkened with the continuation of the tale. "… And we learned a great deal about Mirage. Her father was a high ranking man in the A.R.M.Y, who had an affair with Mirage's mother while still married. He fathered two children, one to each woman. Her side was shunned and paid to silence."

Tremors of pity rung softly in Mickey's heart, but none of them could outweigh the image of Minnie in his arms with her open stitches bleeding onto his dirty coat. He scowled, facing away from the old man. "She coulda made that up, fer all ye know." No matter what sob story Phasir wove, he wasn't going to suddenly give Mirage the benefit of the doubt, after the terrifying damage she had caused.

"It is possible." Phasir did not reject Mickey's deserved anger. "But I believe it. With every sun that set, I fell more in love with her, and she returned all of my feelings. The three of us decided that when the opportunity arose, Ortensia would be the only one to escape Africa. I would help Mirage change her name and identity, so she could stay with me and be my wife. But… it was not meant to be." He shook his head solemnly. "The King had gotten so paranoid in his search to eliminate all pirates from his kingdom that he invaded the houses of those he trusted most… including mine."

"I still say she sold us out!" Ortensia jumped back into the conversation, hissing with sharp teeth."She must have ratted us out ta someone, just like she did me ta ye the first time! And when those guards barged in, she ran and didn't even try ta help either of us! She abandoned the both of us! She never loved ye, Phasir, and the sooner ye realize that…" She trailed off as she saw both men in the room quietly chastising her with their eyes. She grumbled, and kicked the door in her irritation.

Phasir waited to see if Ortensia would interrupt further, and then resumed. "All Kingdoms have strict laws against piracy and those who aide pirates. Had I stayed in the Kingdom, I would have been executed. Ortensia and I fled from the Kingdom, and took our own separate paths. I traveled in search of Mirage, hoping to speak to her, and protect her again. Earlier this year, I thought I had a chance to meet her, here in Britain. But it turned out to be a trap, set up by Magica DeSpell. Because of my endless inquiry to others about Mirage's location, Magica understood that she and I were vital parts of each other's lives. She captured me, and intended to use me as a warning to Mirage… should Mirage ever reveal Magica's intentions, I would be killed." Then he straightened his back, and his voice strengthened, a new serious tone overtaking him. "I don't need to tell you that there is no such thing as a peaceful upbringing in the world of pirates. You have suffered greatly in your past, and so has she. She was an unwanted child, made from a man's poor decisions. She has cursed fate for bringing her into a world she could not control, and for not making her the child of fortune. She wishes to bring suffering to those who she thinks have not endured it… a desperate attempt to ease her own."

"I don't make excuses for what I do." Though Mickey had respect for this man, his own beliefs were not so easily changed. "And she's made her own choices! She tried ta kill the woman I love! I'm not gunna forgive her!"

"I am not asking you to." Phasir rose from his seat, and Ortensia could feel the tension from both men crowding her. "All I ask is that when we come across her again is that I be given a chance to talk to her."

"Talk." Mickey repeated flatly, crossing his arms and expressing just how stupid of an idea he thought this was. "Think a good chit-chat is gunna make her start washin' the blood off her sword?"

"I can understand your doubt, and I do know it may not compel her to return to me." He held out a flat hand, wishing to be heard out entirely. "But I could not live knowing I did not try to help her. And should she refuse me, I will turn myself in to the A.R.M.Y. to await my arrest and execution." Mickey's eyes widened at the revelation, but he didn't shout in objection, as he expected Ortensia to do so. Yet she did not, and again, Mickey could see from her face that she was already well aware of Phasir's plan. No doubt it explained her rash actions and yells throughout the conversation – a man she saw as a father figure was willing to commit a form of suicide for a woman of pure darkness. Phasir's face became gentle, understanding their reactions. "I do not have a family, Captain. I have nothing of importance waiting for me. I only want to help her, if I can. And I will die in peace, praying that in another life, we can be together again. Perhaps you can understand… the lengths someone will go for a love denied to them at every turn."

Mickey huffed, not liking his pure love for Minnie compared to the woman drenched in traitorous blood. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, stewing over this added trouble to his mountain of problems. He glared at Phasir, trying to find a logical reason to be angry with him, and the old man took no offense with it. "… I ain't makin' no promises. If she goes after Minnie, I'm gunna fight her with all I've got." Phasir nodded, and Mickey began making his way to the door. "Ye mean somethin' great ta Ortensia, so if ye find that chance, I'll let ye take it." He stopped at the door, looking over his sister carefully. She looked apologetic for bringing this matter up, and for a brief moment, Mickey saw her as the little girl who would tag along with him on the streets, tugging on his arm to make him slow down so she could catch up. He sighed heavily, and then patted her on the head, just like he did when they were small. "… Always bringin' me trouble. Just what a siblin' is supposed ta do." He chuckled quietly, and then pulled away, opening his door. "C'mon, lass, we got work ta do."

Ortensia blinked, quickly smoothing down her hair after the little ruffle it had gotten. "Work?"

"A course. We got some lengths ta go through."

* * *

><p>Captain Jane glanced out the window of the N.A.V.Y. carriage, peering up at the gloomy clouds and pondering if there would be an early snowfall. As usual, her fingers were keeping busy by lightly tapping her pen to her notebook, but this time, she wouldn't be allowed to keep the habit up. She felt steel eyes pressed onto her, and her hand went still. The carriage was also holding Helga, who sat directly across from Jane. Jane felt she could deliver the information about Captain Mickey's future execution by herself, but apparently the small arguments that broke out during the meeting made Rourke and Helga wish to oversee ever action by their subordinates personally. Jane didn't like it, but who was she to comment? She sat herself up properly, and cheered herself up by knowing that she'd get a look at Amelia's darling little babies.<p>

The carriage began to slow down to a halt. Once the wheels stopped turning, the two women stepped out, standing in front of Amelia's home. Jane's smile vanished as she noticed the state of the home's door, scratched and nearly torn off its hinges. "What's happened? Amelia!" She dropped her pen and notebook, hastily pulling her gun out of its holster, and shouting the cat's name again in fear. "Amelia!" Helga stood still, and not even her fingers flinched.

Jane hadn't made it to the door before two bodies suddenly blasted through the living room windows. It was Amelia tackling Mirage, and as they landed outside, their wounds gave evidence that this fight had been going on for some time. They could hear the shrieking of Amelia's children from within the house, and Delbert was trying to secure them to a safe room. Mirage landed on her back with Amelia on top of her, pressing her empty scabbard to Mirage's throat. Mirage was somehow both gagging and cackling, clawing frantically at Amelia's face, and this blood feud could have continued until one was left lifeless if no one interfered. Jane was able to get out of her stupor, and ran to Amelia's side, pointing her pistol at Mirage's face. "Freeze! Put your hands down!" Both cats were startled to see they had company, but Amelia kept pressing down on Mirage's throat none the less.

"Captain Amelia Doppler." Helga's stern voice cut through the chaos. "Stand down."

Amelia stopped pressing, but only due to the shock of the order. She whipped her head to stare at her superior. "What?"

"Stand down." Helga slowly began to approach the cats, looking down at them both literally and with obvious superiority. "Release her."

"General! She broke into my house!" Amelia shook with righteous fury, unable to believe what she was being told to do. "She was going to kill my children! She is going to keep – _Jane_!" Amelia shrieked as she felt herself being torn off Mirage's body, as Jane used all of her power to hold Amelia's arms behind her back. "Let me go! I'm not going to let her keep going after my family!"

"Amelia, please." Jane was going through the motions reluctantly, but knew if Amelia continued to disobey Helga's orders, the consequences would be dire. Amelia eventually stopped resisting, but her body continued to shake with rage.

Helga stood over Mirage, and then bent over, grabbing Mirage by the arm and forcing the cat to her feet. "Mirage. From my reports have told me, you're willing to give information about other pirates in exchange for deals." As Helga relayed this, she turned Mirage around, cuffing her wrists.

"Is this where I'm supposed to say my reputation precedes me?" Mirage lightly licked blood off her lips, keeping her eyes on Amelia only.

"We'd be very appreciative if you had anything to share about Captain Mickey." Helga turned Mirage back around so they were forced to look at each other. "But if we find out your information is useless, you'll get nothing in return except for a swift trip to Alcatraz."

"Oh my." Mirage chuckled, moving about as if none of her wounds mattered. "I didn't know the dear captain was causing so much trouble. I have plenty to say about him." She then tilted her head to try and see Amelia again, grinning with broken teeth. "Don't I always have a lot of good stories to share, Amelia?"

"You can't make a deal with her!" Amelia jerked so hard that Jane almost thought her arms would pop out of their sockets. "Are you mad? She's a pirate, you can't make a deal with her! She's going to get out again! End her where she is!" Jane had to dig her heels into the ground just to try and keep Amelia in place. "Mirage! Stay away from my family, it's me that you want!"

"Captain Amelia." Helga gripped Mirage's arm, and gave a long suffering sigh, a teacher dealing with rowdy students. "I'll let this… transgression… slide, since you are still on maternity leave. Captain Jane will inform you on what you need to know. I hope that when you return to duty, you will remember that our orders are absolute. Everything we do is for the greater good of our Kingdom." Satisfied with her explanation, she began to lead Mirage back to the carriage.

"Are you telling me that one pirate is more important than my children?" Amelia shrieked, and Jane began to shove her back towards the house. "I want to hear this from you directly, General! You come back here and tell me what's so important! Helga!" There was no way Helga couldn't have heard these screams. Jane kept her head low, not agreeing with any of these actions, but obeying them. Before Helga went into the carriage with the criminal she paused, and rubbed her temples. Jane could have sworn that Helga's eyes flashed violet, but then was distracted with trying to get Amelia into the house. The door fell off its hinges.

* * *

><p>When information had been exchanged at the museum, Donald had told the large group that since Darkwing hadn't contacted him and Launchpad in a long time, the right thing to do was for Donald to go to Italy to make sure he was okay. In retrospect, maybe he should have kept that piece of information to himself. It was the dead of night when, donned in his PK ensemble, he had arrived at the harbor where most pirate ships were coming and going. There weren't too many people out that night, and Donald had planned to sneak aboard one of the ships headed for Italy. The wood on the port creaked under his feet as he walked around to find a ship, and he saw in the ocean's reflection that he was not alone. He was not wholly surprised to turn around and find himself staring at Daisy.<p>

She was dressed in the same pirate disguise as when she had gone to meet Mickey, as a N.A.V.Y. uniform would have gotten much alarm out in this forbidden place. They looked at each other coolly, but their eyes gave away that their hot tempers could flare at any moment. Daisy chose to speak first. "You didn't really think I'd let you do this, did you?"

"Silly me, thinking this was my life." Donald stood his ground, determined to win this argument at all costs. "It's not like Darkwing to keep Launchpad out of the loop for so long. I have to make sure everything's okay."

"Then let Launchpad do it!" Daisy snapped, her fuse already lit. "You're going to abandon your family just to search for some nutjob who dragged you into danger? You could be arrested just for walking here!"

"I have to do it!" Donald pounded a fist onto his chest, attempting to show her a dash of bravery. "It's the only thing I can do! I have to be able to help out. The A.R.M.Y. wouldn't have me, I can't use my uncle's money without coming under scrutiny, so it's either this or I just sit around and watch the world fall apart!" He began to turn around, realizing that if this turned into a shouting match, they'd draw way too much attention. "I don't need your approval. I'm going to Italy."

"The world doesn't need you!" Daisy lashed out, grabbing him by his ridiculous cape, choking him in mid-step. "I'm not going to let you get killed!"

"I'm not your problem anymore, remember?" Donald tried to yank his cape back, but she wouldn't yield. "Do you have any idea how much this cape cost me?" He then attempted to pry her fingers off, but that wound up with the both of them gripping each other's hands, locked in a fight in which neither was willing to actually hit the other. With their hands locked together, they pushed back and forth, feet firmly planted on the planks, not willing to budge an inch. Why couldn't they make the other understand? He was brave, or he was foolish! She was bossy, or she was terrified! They barked arguments and faults back and forth, until Donald felt something brushing against his fingers. He glanced at their hands, and saw that not only was Daisy still wearing her engagement ring, but the feathers and skin around it was red and raw, a result of twisting it endlessly, perhaps for hours on end. With this realization came others – that her finger was in pain, and that there was a light shake to her hand because of this pain.

It was rather easy to push aside his resentment when it came to Daisy's health. He released one of her hands and grabbed her wrist to get a closer look at her injury. Daisy loudly protested, but he ignored it, ready to pull off the ring in order to get a better look. He was met with a harsh slap to his face, and Daisy pulled her arm back, clutching her hand to her chest. "Don't you dare take it off!" She cried, keeping her fingers together.

Donald rubbed his stung cheek, but found himself still more concerned with her finger. "What did you do to yourself?" He pointed at the finger, and she looked down.

She blinked, noticing for the first time the damage she had done, as impossible as the thought may be. "… I twist my ring sometimes." She thought out loud, but that still didn't really answer the question. She had thought it to be an uncontrollable bad habit, such as biting nails or tapping feet. She looked back in her mind to each time she had ever twisted it. When she had flirted with other men… When she had talked about the 'fun' before marriage… she had twisted it all night after the big fight when she learned of PK. "… Oh." She whispered, as it painfully became clear to her. She had done it every time she had been 'unfaithful', or in her mind, unworthy of Donald's engagement. She had been punishing herself without realizing it. She couldn't use her magic of rewording anymore. "Oh… I'm… I'm really a terrible person, aren't I?"

Naturally Donald had never suspected the fight would lead to this. "Daisy?"

The full weight of what Daisy had been doing this entire time had hit her hard. What right did she ever have to lecture Donald? To lecture anybody? She had freely given her affections to any man who could pay her well enough for them, justifying them for the sake of fun. The truth was that she had gone out to the men, instead of them going to her. She had been the one searching for fun, instead of trying to look for it with Donald, so wrapped up in her own selfishness and greed that she had wound up ignoring his needs and pains. She could have been trying to help him find the purpose he was longing for, but instead she amused herself with jewels and dates. Maybe if she had just tried to listen to him for once, he wouldn't have picked up this vigilante business. It was her fault that his life was in danger. She gazed down at her ring until her vision became blurry with tears. "What have I… been doing?"

Donald could no longer stand there as he saw his girlfriend break down. He reached out and held her gently, but she trembled in his embrace, self loathing drowning her in tears. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… but please don't go!" She had no right to beg him to stay, but she was greedy and selfish and terrible and could not bear to let him go. "I know I don't deserve you, but please don't leave me! Please don't marry Donna!" She knew Donna probably would treat him better, and that the right thing to do was to let him go, but she could not make herself let go. Her fingers dug into his costume, and she sobbed hard into his shoulder.

As for Donald, he wasn't sure whether he preferred this to arguing or not. He scratched his head, perplexed by her burst of emotions. "Marry Donna? Why would I want to marry Donna?" Had his protection over Donna given Daisy some silly notion that he still held a torch for his ex-girlfriend? He ran his hand over Daisy's hair several times in an attempt to settle her. Clearly they needed to talk, but this wasn't the right place for it. "… Come on." He murmured, and with soft ease, lifted her up into his arms, carrying her. She didn't object, holding him around his neck. "… Let's go home." Whether Darkwing was safe remained to be seen, but Donald had taken up this persona to protect those who needed his help. Right now, this shaken wreck of a woman needed his help. "Marry Donna… Ha! Is it possible to marry a migraine? Let me tell you what she put me through!" He walked through the night, telling Daisy all the reasons he against marrying his ex, hoping it would distract Daisy from this destructive path of hate.

Of course their relationship wasn't fixed overnight. Of course they still had plenty to argue and disagree about. Of course Donald still had every intention of going to Italy, and Daisy had every intention of making him stay. Donald would make her take off the ring so her finger could heal properly, and he knew the healing wouldn't be instantaneous. They would just have to take their time.

* * *

><p>Minnie couldn't recognize her reflection. This girl in the mirror looked like her, yet Minnie couldn't really accept that this person was her. It just didn't seem right, though she couldn't put it into words. Where Mickey had dived into bottles in order to face the mountain of problems, Minnie had chosen to dive into normalcy to try and soothe her head. Mortimer was rushing the wedding preparations, and Minnie could no longer make any excuses to delay them. It was a cold weekend, and she stood in a shop that exclusively tailored to weddings, looking at herself in a white lacy dress that was strewn in fake flowers to give the look of a floral maiden. It was very lovely, and maybe another time, Minnie would have taken the dress in her hands and girlishly swung it back and forth around her legs. Right now she was still.<p>

The girl in the mirror was her future. Soon she would have to put away her N.A.V.Y. uniform forever, and submit to a lifetime of servitude to her husband. The evils of Magica would be everyone else's problem. She blinked hard, trying to find the good points of the future that this mirror was showing. Her life wouldn't be in danger, she wouldn't need to impress anybody, and Mickey…

Her dress suddenly became very constricting at the thought of him. When she left the N.A.V.Y, would he lose reason to chase her? Or would he try to convince her that polygamy and adultery were harmless crimes? She couldn't fight off the smile on her lips, already able to hear his arguments. He'd probably try some nonsense to prove he would be the 'better husband'. His wedding gift to her might be a kidnapping. He could crash into the honeymoon suite, declaring "Dibs!" She wouldn't be able to get rid of him so easily. Why, he would probably do that cliché of interrupting the wedding with "I object!" She put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

She then quieted down as she heard Mortimer outside of the dressing room, haggling the price of the dress down. He then insisted on going in, slamming the door loudly. "If I'm going to be wasting that much money, it better at least look good!" He ignored Minnie's grimace at his rudeness, going to her side and looking at her reflection. "Mmm… great! It'll do."

Minnie looked at the mirror that now reflected the future husband and wife. His hand was on her shoulder, and he was easily distracted by his own looks, smoothing down his jacket. The demure bride and the narcissist husband. Minnie carefully lifted her head towards him, her voice soft as she felt a need to ask. "Mortimer… do you love me?"

"Yeah, sure." Mortimer bent over, inspecting one of the fake flowers on Minnie's hip. "Hold on, these aren't real! There should be a discount for that!" He then stormed back to the door, resuming the haggling match. The tailor was exasperated, and was soon bargaining just to get Mortimer out of his store.

Once more, Minnie looked at herself. He was calling a wedding dress a waste of money, didn't bother to knock or ask if he could come in, was more focused on how he looked than she did, was stupid enough to think the flowers were real, but among all those mistakes, the one that stood out was how easily he replied to her question. It wasn't a real admission of feelings. He was just agreeing to get the matter off. If he even knew what love was, he didn't feel it. This wasn't a marriage, this was a business transaction.

"Well, duh." The Minnie in the mirror told her, rolling her eyes. "You can't say that you're surprised. He's always been this way. Did you think he was going to get better?"

"Kind of?" Minnie sat down on a stool provided for her, fingering the lace on her sleeves. "And… he still could. Maybe he'll fall in love with me in time." It wasn't an impossible concept. People suddenly fell in love all the time. Would it really be so far-fetched to say Mortimer could too? He had a heart and emotions just like everyone else.

"Just who are you trying to fool?" Minnie Mirror snorted, shaking her head in disapproval. "Fine, let's say he did fall in love with you. Do you really want that creep holding you? Kissing you? Do you really want to have his kids?" The real Minnie shuddered, holding herself and hoping she wasn't gagging out loud. "I didn't think so."

"Look, I don't have a choice!" Minnie curtly cut in, glaring at herself. "This is what Mother and Father want! It'll make them happy, and make a secure financial future for them."

"Mother and Father didn't tell us money was happiness." Mirror Minnie wagged a finger at this. "They love you, so why don't you trust them with how you really feel? You're giving up a proud family tradition for… that." She pointed to behind Minnie, where the tailor had sidetracked Mortimer by showing him impressive and expensive looking cufflinks. "Look at that! He'd spend hundreds on something for himself, but he barely looked at your dress. And has he ever apologized for calling you a floozy? Nope! If you would just tell Mother and Father how he really treats you, they'd call this whole thing off."

"You make it sound so easy." Minnie looked down at the floor, grumbling. "It's gone too far, I can't just tell them I've suddenly changed my mind. And think of the scandal it would cause!"

"You don't care about scandal and you know it. Haven't you realized how long it's been since someone has called you a rookie? Gossip and news dies down, and you can live freely again. Mother and Father want you to live your own life. You want to live your own life. And a certain someone wants you to live your own life…" Mirror Minnie sighed dreamily, tracing a heart shape on the glass with a finger.

Minnie reddened deeply, and tugged down on her veil to hide from herself. "Can't we leave him out of this? He's not connected to everything!"

"It's not my fault you think about him all the time." Mirror Minnie grinned, tracing the heart over and over again. "You know what you want to do. Dump Mortimer, tell Mother and Father the truth, stop Magica, be a proud N.A.V.Y. woman for the rest of your life, and once your schedule clears up…."

"You're not going to say start dating Mickey." Minnie sat up straighter, annoyed at herself for trying to simplify difficult matters. "You heard Captain Amelia. If she found out I've still been contacting him, I'll be dishonorably discharged! I could even be arrested!"

Mirror Minnie threw her hands up in the air due to sheer frustration. "What is with you and giving up so easily? These piracy laws are rubbish! Not every pirate is a murderer, and Mickey proves it! If you want him to live, then find a way to show everyone he's a good guy! Laws don't stay the same for hundreds of years! It takes one person to start making the change!"

Minnie stood up so quickly that the stool beneath her was knocked over. How dare that reflection try to reduce these matter to matter to a history lesson! Didn't she realize what was really at stake, and all that had changed over the course of a year? "You're asking me to choose between my career and my love!" Mirror Minnie only raised her eyebrows, letting the real Minnie slowly realize what she just said. The real girl couldn't find another argument to lead onto, and instead huffed, setting the stool back up. "You're terrible."

"I know." Mirror Minnie chirped pleasantly. "At least think it over, will you?"

"No promises." Minnie refused to address herself any longer, silently changing back into her N.A.V.Y. uniform and entering reality, where she hadn't been talking out loud at all, and had only been staring at herself for the past couple of minutes. When she was redressed, she folded up the wedding dress, and carried it out of the dressing room, where Mortimer was fingering the empty remains of his wallet.

He noticed her coming out, and reached out towards her, grabbing her shoulder. "Minerva, be a dear. Could you spot me a few extra pounds? These cuffs can come in gold." He rubbed his fingers together in eager anticipation of their shine. "All your little girlfriends will be so jealous of the guy you nabbed… but I left my other wallet back at your place."

Minnie looked down at the hand on her shoulder, and decided to let the Minnie in the mirror take over for just a little bit. "Pay for it yourself, ingrate." She then shoved the wedding dress into his arms, and walked out of the store, missing his stupefied and slack- jawed expression. She felt much less constricted in her uniform, and because of that, she walked calmly and freely out onto the sidewalk, taking it step by step. These matters might be solved… step by step.

* * *

><p>"Bring the prisoner in."<p>

The door creaked in, and the young man in chains stumbled in. No one helped him get up, so he had to push himself up into a standing position. Besides him, there were four other people in the room, sitting down at a steel table. From left to right, they were Private Lucius Best, General Lyle Tiberius Rourke, Jessica Rabbit and her husband Roger.

"Have a seat." Rourke was the first to speak, a slimy smile gracing his hard features. "We've got a lot to talk about, Oswald."

**End of Chapter Thirty.**


	31. Sacrifice Versus Senseless

'Lies is the best editor in the world' should be a new internet meme. Because it's true. So there.

* * *

><p>Was Oswald's arm throbbing because of pain, or was he so angry and nervous about the entire situation that he could feel the vibrations of his heart throughout his entire body? An easy argument could be made for either. As a pirate prisoner the injury to his arm had been handled roughly, because no one cared if he lost the limb or not. Fortune held out for him, though, as his arm was wrapped tightly with gauze and there was a good chance of recovery. That's where the fortune ran out, as he now stared back at a table full of what he considered enemies.<p>

Private Lucius Best, General Lyle Tiberius Rourke, Jessica Rabbit and her husband Roger all sat on the opposite end of the table in the interrogation room of the A.R.M.Y. headquarters. This interrogation room was vastly different from the one in the N.A.V.Y. headquarters only a few miles away. While the female counterpart was nearly underground, closing off all access to the outside world, the male version was high up in the sky, with a glass window taking up an entire wall so everyone outside could look out over the kingdom. The view was very nice, perhaps used as a torment to the criminals who would never know that kind of freedom again. Oswald momentarily thought he saw two birds flying in an odd direction off in the distance.

Rourke cleared his throat, getting Oswald's attention back. "I'm going to make things simple for you, son."

"I'm not your son." Oswald snapped back at once. His own father rarely called him that, so he certainly wasn't going to take it from a stranger. "And I'm not an idiot, I know what's in store for me. I'm going to be executed for piracy. So what am I even here for?" As he said that, his eyes locked on his trembling brother and his calm wife. The real question was what they were doing there.

Rourke continued to smile, the lines of age on his face sinking in as if this whole process was painful for him. "It's been a crazy time while you were taken hostage aboard Captain Mickey's ship, hasn't it?" Oswald's puzzled expression was immediate for that choice of words, which made Rourke chuckle. "Why don't you explain it, Private Best?"

Lucius hesitated, still uncomfortable with the deal, but knowing now was not the best time to speak out against it. He held onto a glass of water tightly, but didn't take a drink. "This kind of thing is unprecedented, but… we're willing to take all your acts of piracy as acts done in a hostage situation. That way, you won't face time and execution for your crimes. We can have your entire record cleaned up, and have you returned to your family."

"Won't that be great!" Roger took the chance to jump into the conversation, clasping his hands together tightly. "It'll be just like old times! We can pretend none of this ever happened! And you know me, I'm really good at playing pretend! And I'm even better at forgetting things! Right, Jessica?" He looked to her for confirmation, but Jessica said nothing. Her expression was difficult to read, almost like she wasn't listening.

Oswald carefully looked at all four faces. Everything Lucius had said was in the future tense – willing, can have. Something very vital was being left out of this deal. "What are you talking about? Why would you do all that for me?" His time with the pirates had managed to wash away much of his snobbery and he now knew he wasn't worth this much effort. The throbbing in his arm now sounded like an alarm bell, warning him of danger. "I've done nothing but waste my father's money. There's no way he'd encourage you guys to let me go so easily." As acknowledgement of that fact, Roger looked down guiltily.

"This isn't about your father." Rourke began to stand up. "This is about you, your future, and this kingdom's future." He walked up to the window, and placed a hand on the glass. "Look at our homes. Look at our skies. Look at our seas. Everything is being tainted by pirates, because they don't fear the law. The only we can control them is remind them of what fear is, and the only thing they fear is death. We need to show them that even the weakest pirate is capable of death at our hands. That way, we…" He began to drift off, and placed a hand on his temples, grinding his teeth. "That way, we… we…" He mumbled the three words over and over, losing his place.

"General?" Lucius called out gently, and that seemed to be enough to get Rourke's mind back in place.

He shut his eyes, which were for a quick second violet, and then opened them with clarity. "Ah, yes. I do ramble." He chuckled to dismiss the odd affair, and walked to Oswald's chair. "I've never been one for long fancy speeches, so I'll get right to it." He placed both hands on the back of Oswald's chair, and kept his head hovering over the rabbit. "Tell us everything you know about Captain Mickey and his crew, and your life goes back to normal."

"What?" Oswald tried to spring up from his seat, but Rourke's hands grabbed him by the shoulders. They forced him back down and wouldn't let go. "H-Hey! What's Mickey got to do with any of this?" He winced as Rourke's grip was painful on purpose. Roger tried to get out of his seat, but Jessica quietly urged him to get back down.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Oswald." Rourke sounded as nonchalant as ever, despite his fingers digging into Oswald's fur. "Instead of just sending him off to Alcatraz so he can be forgotten about, we want to do a public execution." Oswald stopped resisting as the horror of this words dawned on him. "The public needs to be reminded it can have faith in us, by getting rid of a public menace."

Oswald tried to look up at Rourke, but found his movements restricted. "You… you can't do that! You don't understand, if you could just let me explain about him…" It never occurred to him to make the deal – it never occurred to him that Mickey could die. It was easy to forget that a man such as that was destined for death, but now that Oswald was faced with such consequences, it occurred him that every friend he made on that ship, including his beloved Ortensia, was to meet with the grim reaper in too short of time. This amplified fear made his heart beat echo all over his body, almost to a deafening degree.

"We know about his vow not to kill." Lucius lightly tapped his fingers on his glass. "That's… kind of the point. That's why he has to be the one." His voice objected to such reasoning, and he looked desperately thirsty but still wouldn't drink.

"Think of the message it'll send." Rourke grinned, looking more like a demon in uniform than a human. "We won't show mercy to any form of piracy. You can help us bring back justice. If you tell us everything you've learned about him and his crew, you can be a hero." He finally began to release his hold. "Think about it, Oswald. You get your dignity back. Your family back. The world loses a Mickey and gains an Oswald. That makes everything fair, doesn't it?"

"We can be a family again, Oswald." Roger stuck out his hand from across the table, donning a shaky smile full of hope. "P-P-Pleeease?"

Family? Fair? What disgusting twists of normal words. Oswald's eyes bored into Roger's hand as the offer hung in the air. It would be incredibly easy to do as they said. He could give them the information that would help them find Mickey and the others. It probably wouldn't even take up five minutes. By sunset he'd be back in the family mansion, wearing tailor made clothes and enjoying a freshly made warm meal while servants tended to his every word. Yet for all those servants, that house would be empty. "Family." Oswald repeated slowly, lifting his eyes up. "Family… so why isn't father here, begging me to come back?" He expected the silence that came back, and it motivated his anger. "Because he didn't care. Because he never cared. He didn't come to see me when I was first arrested months ago, and neither did you!"

Roger felt himself shrinking under the harsh tone, tugging at his long ears in aggravation. "None of us could, Oswald! Father said he didn't want us to-"

"And you chose him over me! No one has ever cared about me!" Oswald was now free to stand up, and he slammed his cuffed hands on the table, making it shake, and Lucius's glass tipped over, spilling. "And you're only here because no one else wanted the job of trying to make me go along with this stupid deal!"

"Stupid deal?" Rourke's smile was twitching, and he came to Oswald's side, aiming to grab him again. "You just need to take a deep breath and-"

Oswald quickly backed away from his impending touch, going so fast that it didn't take long for his back to hit a wall. "No, no, no! Find someone else turn him over, because I won't do it! Not to go back to a family who never cared about me! I did everything to get my father's attention, but it was never enough! I tried everything to be acknowledged, and for what?" He tugged at his chained cuffs even though he knew they would not break, but his body cried for the release of months of revelations. "What has the Rabbit family ever done for me? Why do people with money get to be scott-free of their crimes, but those who are just trying to survive have to die? What kind of messed up life is that? I won't go back to it, I won't!" Who was he even yelling to? Though Lucius was smiling at this sense of bravado, these words wouldn't change anyone's minds. Who was Oswald trying to convince?

If he gave up Mickey, he could live. If he didn't give up Mickey, he would die. Was this really the length Oswald was going to go for the man he once blamed all his problems on? Oswald's breath hitched, because with that came a terrible and beautiful understanding. Roger and Jessica would never trade their lives for him. Oswald had to work just for them to acknowledge his existence, but with Mickey, with Ortensia, with every member of those criminals, they allowed him to stay and treated him as one of their own. The woman he loved with all of his heart, and the man who he had come to see as better than his equal, they had become so dear to him that Oswald was ready to give up everything in order for them to live. Oswald's vision began to blur as hot tears clouded his eyes. Wasn't that a family? Wasn't what he had with them a family? Hadn't everything he longed from his father and brothers been given to him?

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Rourke's fake compliancy was at its end, and he marched back to the giant window. "You're willing to hang yourself up for a bunch of common thieves? This little charade of loyalty isn't going to do anyone any good." He then slammed the back of his hand to the window, calling the attention of everyone in the room. "And where are those pirates? They left you to die! They can't care about anyone but themselves! Tell me, where are these friends of yours now?"

The window behind him was then shattered into millions of pieces as two bodies on stolen hoverboards slammed directly into it. The two landed on top of Rourke, who was now face down on the floor. Lucius fumbled for the pistol on his belt, while Roger and Jessica clung to each other in fright. The two bodies stood up, dusting themselves off and grumbling about their entrance.

"If ye just stopped fer directions like I told ye, we would've been here ten minutes ago!" Ortensia pouted, holding up an extra third hoverboard under her arms. "Why can't men ever ask fer directions?"

"'Cause _shush_, that's why." Mickey stuck his tongue out at her, and then spotted Oswald off on the other wall. "See? I found him. A man's always gotta follow his instincts. " he then tipped his hat politely to the other stunned people as he and Ortensia made their way over to Oswald.

Lucius decided to handle one problem at a time, kneeling down by Rourke's side and checking to see if he was all right. The general was knocked unconscious, which was probably for the best. The husband and wife didn't dare to move a muscle. Oswald blinked hard, expecting to wake up from this surreal dream. "What… what are you doing here?"

"What's it look like?" Ortensia flicked one of her small claw-like knives out, and began to use it to pick at Oswald's cuffs. "We're rescuin' ye, rich boy. And ye better be grateful fer it! Puttin' us through all this work…" The cuffs came off fairly easily, and no one made a move to stop the pirates.

"Funny," Mickey idly poked Ortensia's reddening cheek, glad to be able to tease his sister in a brotherly fashion again. "Far as I remember, ye were the one beggin' to get him back the loudest."

"W-well!" Ortensia harshly shoved the extra hoverboard into Oswald's floppy hands, turning back around in embarrassment. "The dummy said he'd m-marry me, so… he still has ta live up ta his promise! I ain't gunna let no man go back on his word made ta me!"

Mickey shrugged, finding the whole matter entertaining. "Wouldn't right blame him if he ran away before the honeymoon. Oh well!" He followed Ortensia, expecting the rabbit to follow. "Phasir's keepin' guard down below, so we better get a move on. We're right next to the N.A.V.Y. base, so I wanna see if I can get some Minnie kisses!"

Oswald couldn't believe how casual they were being about this. It was like he was another check on a to-do list. He found he couldn't move his feet just yet. They had really come back for him. They had intended to all along. They had never planned on leaving him behind. He took one last look at Roger, and wasn't surprised to see that he was only concentrated on protecting Jessica. Yet Oswald couldn't get angry about this. Roger and Jessica loved each other so much that there was little room in their lives for someone else. So be it, they had their own lives to life. Now, so did Oswald.

"Hey!" Mickey kicked his hoverboard to life, not understanding Oswald's lack of movement. "What's the hold up, Oswald?"

That was all he needed to start moving. He hurriedly rubbed the back of his arm to his eyes, hoping that neither cat nor mouse saw that he had been crying. "M-Mind your own business, Mickey! You know I'm coming! You're the slow one!" He threw the hoverboard on the ground, causing it to start up.

"That's Captain Mickey ta ye!" Mickey laughed as he said it, and in an instant, all three of them were out of their building. The three continued to argue and laugh as they soared through the skies, heading back to where the ship was waiting. It soon became a race to see who would get there first, and those on the ship who could see them approaching began to make bets of who it would be.

Lucius watched them until they were specks in the skyline. "…What was all that about?"

Jessica rested her head between her husband's giant ears. "I suppose some pirates are very possessive over what they've stolen. Once it's theirs, they refuse to let anyone else have it." It was a line of reasoning she could understand. Having Oswald back in their lives could have been hazardous to her husband. Things were better this way.

* * *

><p>While the prison rescue was flying across the sky, two carriages were arriving at the military base below. The first to arrive was a N.A.V.Y. ordained one, transporting Mirage so she could be interrogated. It slowed down to a halt, and she exited the carriage, along with Jane and Helga. Much like Lucius, Jane was still very upset by the entire deal but still going along with it. Much like Rourke, Helga had no qualms about this plan, and was very calm as she led the smiling cat along. However, they had only taken a few steps when they saw someone approaching them from ahead. Amelia, now once again donned in her uniform stormed up to her superior, nowhere near as hesitant or frightened as Jane had been. "General. We need to speak regarding this plan."<p>

"I believe Private Jane has already filled you in on all the details." Helga narrowed her eyes at the insubordination, and Jane's breath was caught at this act. Mirage snickered madly, finding great pleasure in seeing her relative put herself in harm's way.

Helga moved to walk around Amelia, but Amelia sidestepped and blocked her, demanding attention at any cost. "You don't understand the overwhelming consequence of these moves. By doing a public execution, especially of someone famous for never taking a life himself, you're not threatening pirates but every day citizens. It sends the message that we could just as easily go after any law breaker and give them the death sentence."

"I fail to see the problem." Helga's ice cold tone never wavered, and this statement was enough to rattle Jane's mind as well. "Whether this gives the public peace or fear, the underlying goal will be reached. The people of England will know we are not be trifled with. We will not bow down to any criminals."

"That's hypocrisy and you know it!" Amelia pointed to the A.R.M.Y.'s interrogation building, having known what was planned inside. "I heard all about setting Lord Oswald free in exchange for information about Captain Mickey. This, in addition to giving that woman - " Mirage was lowering her gaze for one reason or another – "safety for her information as well, that's saying we'll give anyone a free pass in exchange for one man's head! This will give criminals more power! Do you even have authority from the royals?"

"We do not need authority from them." Helga's voice never wavered, and Jane momentarily wondered if she was even blinking. "This is for the good of the kingdom. Captain Amelia, you are committing insubordination."

"You are committing treason! You are going against the crown!" Amelia and Helga were face to face, neither of them backing down in their firm beliefs. "Is this for the good of the people, or for the generals to feel some sense of power again?"

Then everything happened too fast. Jane saw Mirage reaching down to Helga's belt, and realized what Mirage was trying to do, as she had done it to Jane long ago. Jane cried out, trying to grab her own pistol, but Mirage had already taken out Jane's sword, and drew a heavy cut across Helga's chest. Then Mirage was behind Amelia, pressing the blade to her neck only enough to be felt. Helga's cut looked worse than it really was, as she was able to take out her own pistol and aim it at the cats. All of these actions happened in ten seconds, and Mirage was now cackling wildly, using Amelia as a shield. "Finally!" Mirage declared, as loose hair fell around her deranged eyes. "You're of some use, Amelia! You're going to help me get to Magica, so she can tell me where the hell Phasir is!"

Amelia couldn't move without getting her throat cut open, so she didn't bother to ask who in the world Phasir was. Jane swallowed hard, trying to aim for Mirage, but found she couldn't fire at her without risking harm to Amelia. "Release her at once!"

"I will admit now the time for negotiation is over." Helga held up her arm, ready to fire regardless of who she would actually kill. Amelia could see that heartlessness in Helga's eyes, and felt genuine fear run through her veins. This wasn't happening – a General would never put the life of their Privates at such risk. What had happened to General Helga and Rourke?

"General, you can't be serious!" As Jane screamed this, she looked around for anyone to help, and could see someone dashing their way. It was an old looking man in ragged robes, with a sash around his head. Was he blind? What was he doing here? Why was he yelling Mirage's name?

* * *

><p>Minutes earlier, the second carriage that was heading to the same place carried just as much tension, if not more so. Magica, having learned what was to become of Mirage, had ordered N.A.V.Y. escorts to take her to the base as soon as possible. It was the unlucky fortune of Daisy, Clarabelle and Minnie to be the ones chosen to take her there. Daisy stayed inside with Magica, while Minnie rode on top with Clarabelle. Magica had become even more disheveled, feathers torn out in places due to her mindlessly pulling them, talking to people who weren't even in her company, and she had started bringing a pistol with her everywhere. Needless to say, the girls were extremely nervous during this ride.<p>

"How much longer do we have to pretend like we don't know anything?" Minnie whispered, nudging herself to Clarabelle in a desperate form of comfort. "Isn't there anyone we can tell?"

"Not without admitting we got some tips from pirates." Clarabelle frowned, keeping her eyes on the road. "And the second we do that, we get dishonorably discharged and sent off to Alcatraz. Even then, we don't have a guarantee we'll be taken seriously. You know the rules. Associate with a pirate, you're as good as a pirate."

Minnie crossed her arms, thinking over what she had gone through while trying on her wedding dress. "… Clarabelle? Do you know what it takes to change a law?"

Clarabelle was surprised by what she thought was a change in subject. She mulled it over, shifting her shoulders back and forth. "… Not really. I'm no lawyer. I'm pretty sure the royals could… maybe the Generals."

Minnie looked up at her friend, hoping she could breach the subject carefully and not scare her off. "Can't normal people make a change? A protest, signatures, writing to their superiors? If enough people want it bad enough, can't that be enough to prove a law isn't right, and should be fixed?"

"Maybe." Clarabelle shrugged one shoulder. "I guess it'd have to be a lot of people, though. And that'd have to be a pretty bad law." Then it clicked, and Clarabelle couldn't help but smirk a little. "… You think you can change the law so we wouldn't get executed for getting help from pirates?"

'And to stop pirates from getting executed at all', Minnie thought, but she doubted Clarabelle was ready to hear that tidbit just yet. "It's worth a try, isn't it? What's been going on is worse than what any pirate has ever done. Captain Amelia knows some of the details already, I'm sure we told her everything she could handle it. And Captain Jane too! They're on our side!" The more confidence she had in the idea, the more excited she got, and it became harder to keep her voice down so those inside the carriage wouldn't hear. "And we've got the next Queen of America on our side, and in a way, that means the King is on our side too! That's a lot of powerful people on our side, so other people would have listen! If we just tried reaching out to them, we could save so many lives!"

Clarabelle smiled, but it was sad, almost in a pitying fashion. "… That's one big if." She sighed, but tried to keep up a good spirit for the sake of her younger, naïve friend. "I know how much you love being in the N.A.V.Y., and that you want to bring back respect to your name. But say we try this… and it fails. You'd be called a lot worse than just a rookie."

Minnie blinked as it came to her she hadn't thought of things in that light. Of course she knew things could fail, that much was obvious. What hadn't occurred to her was what would happen to her reputation. Now that it was brought up, she couldn't remember the last time she actually cared about it, and how many times people had called her a rookie. All that complaining back in the past seemed like baby-like whining compared to all the things she knew now. What did a reputation mean when it came to saving innocent lives and upholding justice? It seemed so petty now.

Yet was it really so hopeless to want both a continuing career helping people and to be able to change how to help them? It was worth a try, that much Minnie felt. Still, she remained quiet as she thought over her reputation and the future. Despite how strongly she felt about the issue, she still felt she needed just one more sound argument, one more push in the right direction, to be set in her convictions to try and speak out against the evils Magica had done. Just one more push.

The carriage slowed down, and Minnie and Clarabelle could see the first carriage. They saw Amelia arguing with Helga, and then things sped up too fast for them as well. Magica saw Mirage, and sparks of her sanity flew in different directions. "You!" She launched herself at the carriage door to make it open, and shakily held up her pistol. "You, you, you, put! Him over! Stupid, stupid!" Her words were muddled, but her intentions were clear as she aimed at Mirage, who was now holding Amelia hostage. Daisy grabbed Magica's arms, trying to wrestle the gun from her grip, Clarabelle and Minnie got down from the carriage, Jane was screaming, there was a blind man running –

_BANG!_

Now it seemed as if to make up for the far too fast movement of the past few seconds, everything in the world was slowing down to a halt. The shot had been fired, and only after the bullet had struck someone had Daisy been able to yank it out of Magica's hands. Neither Magica nor Amelia had been harmed but only because someone else had been in the way. His name was only known to two in the area, and as Phasir fell, he grabbed for Mirage's golden arm bracelet, the ornament breaking off in his grasp as his body came down. It seemed like an eternity passed before he was completely down on the ground.

Mirage dropped the sword, and looked down at the fallen body. She didn't say a word, and her eyes became dark. Time froze for her, for him, and for Minnie. She had never seen someone die before. Wordless, Minnie began to walk toward them. Around them, the world had resumed moving. Alarms were being rung out as only now Mickey's ship had been spotted and the break-out of Oswald had been announced. Helga was taken away to get her cut looked at. Magica was detained, but only temporarily. People were shouting, people were asking questions, but most importantly, people were alive.

Minnie had once been frozen at the thought of Mirage being free. Now, as she stood near her, there was nothing to be afraid of. Mirage had become hollow, as she came down on her knees, looking at the body that laid still. She wasn't crying. She simply stared, with her mouth closed, and specks of her lover's blood rolled down her body as an aftermath of the shot. Minnie had gotten her last shove.

Everyone around her had experienced death before, and some had in fact delivered it themselves to criminals. The weight of death had never touched Minnie before this, but now she knew just how easy it was to kill and die. How could life be that fragile? How could someone just leave this world in a manner of seconds? Mickey faced this kind of danger every day. A wave of nausea overcame Minnie as she realized that for every battle she ever had with him, anyone could have had a justification to kill him as long as they wore the same uniform as she did. Even now, he could be in that same danger. Even now, for all she knew, he could dead.

Minnie saw that her future was reflected in front of her if things didn't change. If she couldn't get the laws to change, if she didn't even try, then one day, any day, Mickey would lie like this and would never move again. He would never hold her again, he would never kiss her again, he would never comfort her, never be there, never exist. She needed to save him. Her reputation was nothing compared to his life.

Suddenly and so very desperately, she wanted to see him again. She had to know he was okay. She had to see his face. Even if it was only for a few seconds, it would mean a few more seconds that he was alive. She needed to see him. She needed to know he was okay. She needed him. Right then and there, more than anything else in the world, she needed him.

The little world of suffering was broken into as Amelia grabbed Mirage by the arm and forced her to her feet. Mirage came along without any objection, and her body was like that of a rag doll as she was dragged away. Something had shut off inside of her, and she would never be on again. By ending Phasir's life, so had her life ended. Had Minnie known about their connection, she might have felt some shred of pity.

Instead, Minnie began to run. She didn't know where to, or when she would stop. All she knew was that she needed confirmation that Mickey was okay. She didn't know what she'd do if she found him, but a good long stay in his warm arms would be an excellent start.

* * *

><p>That same day, as night began to approach, Mortimer was angrily chewing into his cigar, more eating it than actually smoking it. "You can't be serious." He had been summoned to Magica's building, but instead of meeting with her, he was meeting with one of her employers.<p>

Blackheart Beagle was enjoying the sweat dripping down Mortimer's face far too much. He hated being reduced to being a messenger, but seeing the torment on the face of a man of such high society was worth it. To add to the fun, Blackheart had decided to hold this exchange of information down in the dungeon-like basement, just to rattle with Mortimer's nerves. "I'm only telling you what the good lady told me to tell you." He picked at some food in his teeth, while his Siamese cats curled up sleepily around his feet. "Your fiancé has been hooking up with Captain Mickey. Maybe you'll get lucky and they'll go the way of Romeo and Juliet." He drew a finger across his throat.

"This can't be happening." Mortimer began to pace around, practically devouring his cigar. "I need her family's money! I'm all out! I used so much for all those parties that I'm down to my last dime!" Not that he would accept it was his fault. His own family just hadn't left behind enough for him to live on. It was their entire fault that he was reduced to their means. A man of his prestige was supposed to be holding lavish parties and proving how superior he was. It was just how things worked. "There's got to be something I can do. I'm not letting them ruin me!"

"Aren't you staying at her place?" Blackheart reminded him, reaching down to scoop up his cats. "If you ask me, it's all a waiting game." Mortimer stopped in place, and looked at the Beagle, expecting him to outline a plan. Blackheart rolled his eyes, but decided to go on, if only for the sake of entertainment. "Catch them in the act. It's just a matter of time before they're together again."

Mortimer frowned at how vague he was being, but then details filled in themselves in his head. If he talked to certain people, and he timed things right, then… oh, yes, he could get everything he wanted. Relieved, he took a breath of fresh air, and wound up swallowing the entire cigar. As Mortimer gagged for air and tried to perform CPR on himself, Blackheart hoped this was a sign that stupidity would kill off high society.

**End of Chapter Thirty-One.**


	32. Night Versus Day

My Valentine this month is my all-too-perfect editor, Lies!

* * *

><p>December had arrived, but there was still no trace of snow. People were slowly adjusting to the metallic spheres that still lay strewn across the kingdom, and preparations for Christmas had begun. The one gift that those among the N.A.V.Y. and A.R.M.Y. most desired was to be as blissfully ignorant as the rest of the peaceful citizens. Many had become burdened with the knowledge over the sudden rush of events regarding Magica, Mirage, and Phasir. Magica was questioned, but not charged, with the Generals saying she was trying to help Amelia, and while no one with lower ranks believed it, they were forced to let her go. Mirage was no longer of any use, having stopped speaking since the shooting. She had become a lifeless shell, needing assistance just to eat. As for Phasir, no one knew who he was, so he was simply put in an unmarked grave in a small cemetery.<p>

When Minnie had run away that day to find Mickey, it had become a fruitless endeavor, as she honestly had no idea where to even begin looking for him. Upon returning back to her friends, she told them she had just been upset by what had happened, which wasn't necessarily a lie. She was grateful when the weekend came and she was allowed leave to go home. Her parents, wanting to give Minnie and Mortimer some time alone, had gone to stay with friends of their own. Minnie was relieved to find Mortimer wasn't home either, and she had the entire house to herself for now. She didn't know where he was, and really didn't care.

Her home was small, and had a rustic charm about it. It was one of the few buildings left in the kingdom that wasn't made entirely out of metal, and the wooden stairs beneath her feet creaked as she slowly made her way to her bedroom. She hadn't bothered to change out of her uniform, and sat on her bed, staring down at her boots. Her wedding was a week away, and although she knew she no longer wanted to marry Mortimer, she hadn't actually said anything to him or her parents about it yet. She had been preoccupied by trying to come up with ways to change the laws, and then the shooting had happened, and… now what?

She closed her eyes, and lay down on her bed. Though so many things of great importance were ahead of her, she longed for a moment not to think of anything. In an effort to clear her mind, she opened her mouth, and softly sang the only song she could remember. "Well, come all you jolly sailor boys who to the sea belong… If you'll listen to me, I'll sing for you a song…" She felt she'd give anything to hear Mickey give the next lines. "I've been as fine a seaman as ever furled a sail…"

"Until by lightning lost my sight in that last November gale."

Minnie's eyes popped open, and she quickly sat up, looking at her window, where now Mickey was sitting on the windowsill. He smiled when he saw he had gotten her attention, and offered her a friendly wave.

It was not immediately reciprocated, as Minnie stormed up to the window, flustered. "What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?" Despite how much she had come to care for him, he still had an amazing way of infuriating her.

"Aw, I've known fer a while now." Mickey patted the windowsill, ignoring her anger. "Just been waitin' on an invitation… so, can I come in?"

"Get in here before someone sees you!" Minnie yanked him in by the arm, and once he had fallen face first onto the floor, she slammed the window down hard, quietly hoping no one had seen him. She then pushed the curtains closed, glaring at the slowly standing pirate. "You still haven't said what you're doing here!" Of course she was happy to see him, but he didn't need to know that right away. She still had her pride, so at the very least she could wait five minutes before running into his arms and sobbing incoherently.

Yet when Mickey stood to face her, he wasn't wearing his charming grin, nor did he look ready to tease her with more perversions. Instead he looked grim, and unsure of how to communicate how he was feeling. He tried a few times, but couldn't get anything out of his mouth. Eventually he stuck his hands in his jacket and hung his head. "… One of me crew… is gone."

The silence that hung in the air afterward and the solemn expression that he wore gave away the true meaning of the word. Minnie's need for pride vanished, and she tenderly approached him, knowing the familial importance he had for his crew. "Oh, Mickey… I'm… I'm so sorry."

Mickey met her eyes, still not sure how to best articulate himself. "I… didn't know him real well. But he was a good man, and Ortensia's a mess. And seein' her like that, got me ta thinkin'…" He then looked away, his manly ego not ready to ask her directly what he wanted to know. "If anyone would miss me… if I was… gone."

Minnie had a feeling who he meant exactly, but she too found it easy to dodge, holding her hands together in front of her and pulling at her gloves. "That's… well, that's a silly thought. Ortensia would miss you… your entire crew would miss you."

"She's got Oswald now. She don't need me no longer." Mickey moved away from her, awkwardly walking around the bedroom as an excuse not to face her. Every now and then he would stop to take a look at her things, catching a bit of her history with hung photos and old dolls that were displayed in the corner. "… The crew might go their own ways. People like that… who live just for the next hunt… they come and go all the time. Pete could take over as captain. Even Goofy went off and got himself a whole kingdom. Everyone there's got somethin'. And what have I got?" He took off his hat, and looked it over in his grubby hands. "If the crew went, I've happy fer 'em. I wouldn't care if me ship got blown to smithereens. I can always get new treasure."

Minnie was beginning to understand he was saying something greater than just who would miss him. "Mickey?" She called his name gently, but only watched him. She did not approach him just yet. "What is it?"

He still kept his back to her. "Everythin' I've done… has either been just ta survive, or have fun. And… I didn't care much about meself. But, then, I met ye, and everythin', it all became…" He twisted the hat in his hands, frustrated that he couldn't find the right words. "I wasn't livin' fer anything, but…" He then threw his hat onto the ground, quickly turning around to look at her and then shouting everything he could think of, as if the volume of his words would remove their weight from his heart. "I love ye! I love so much, I can't stand it! I wanna be with ye so much! I wanna keep ye safe, and make ye happy, and… and I lied before! I can't wait! I can't wait fer ye to quit the N.A.V.Y., I can't let ye marry Mortimer, I can't - "

"I'm not going to marry Mortimer." Minnie cut in, automatically interrupting him. Mickey blinked, his tirade a confused mess now, so Minnie added on. "I… decided I can't go through with it." Though her smile was weak, it was honest, and she finished pulling at her gloves, laying them down on her dresser drawer. "I thought marriage didn't mean anything, but… you… you ruined that. I can't marry him because I don't love him. I can't spend the rest of my life living a lie. That's not a life."

Mickey paused, and then blushed hotly, pouting as he picked up his partially ruined hat, earning chuckles from the girl. "…Why didn't ye just say that in the first place! Ye let me go on like a big fool…Yer nothin' but trouble."

"You of all people shouldn't be saying that." As tempting as it was to keep teasing him, he had still said some significant things that she couldn't let go. "… What do you mean, you can't wait?"

Mickey was instantly sullen again, and once more did his best to avoid her gaze. "… I just wanna be with ye, turtledove. Now. All the time. I dunno… I… I know it ain't fair ta ye, but I can't help it." He stared at the floor, feeling thoroughly defeated by his own difficult emotions. "I can't ask ye ta quit doin' what ye love… but I dunno what ta do. I wanna be with ye, and I can't, but I can't just wait 'till yer done with the N.A.V.Y., and I keep puttin' ye in danger just like this, and it's all so… useless. I can't do nothin' about it. I dunno how ta go on livin' like this, without ye, and…" This time when he lifted his head, he was startled to see Minnie was now right in front of him. It was enough to shut him up for a few seconds.

"The world does not revolve around you." Minnie lightly poked his chest with her finger, yet she didn't sound mad at him. In fact, her voice was a gentle reassurance. "I have feelings too, but I can't go just wishing things weren't the way they are. So I'm going to change things. I'm not sure how, but I'm going to change the laws."

Mickey, for once, was the one intimidated by her presence. He had always admired her dignity and drive, and seeing them in action like this was making his heart beat harder. He could really fall for her all over again like this. "… Can ye really do that?"

"Why not?" Minnie took his hat from him so he wouldn't mangle it any further, and placed it on one of her bedposts. "Look at history. It used to be legal to have slaves, it used to be legal for women to unequal to men, there were lots of wrong laws that people have changed. Why can't we be a part of that?" Proud of her convictions, she held her head high. "The N.A.V.Y. is supposed to protect our kingdom and uphold justice. But the meaning of justice can also change. I know that when we bring Magica's actions to a halt, we can change everything."

"We." Mickey repeated, liking the sound of that word. "So, are ye askin' fer me help?"

"Of course not. You're going to do it whether you like it or not." She stuck her nose up, prideful as ever. "As if I'd ever stoop down and ask for a pirate's help."

Mickey took no offense, and burst into loud laughter. It had been almost a year since she first tackled him down, and some things had never changed. "C'mere, turtledove!" Only using that as warning, he threw his arms around her and held her in a tight embrace.

Minnie huffed, pretending not to enjoy it, but it wasn't long before she rested her head on his shoulder and murmured softly to his ear. "… Mickey."

"Aye?" The sun was setting outside, and the last of its rays peeked in-between the curtains. It touched their feet, a small spotlight of their unity. He wondered if he had a right to be this happy. For all the worries and anxieties had been babbling about earlier, all it took was a few words from Minnie to settle his doubts. Besides, what was he to do about it? He couldn't force his feelings, as he proved to himself when he had tried to spare her life months before. It was beyond his control now. She had become an integral part of his life, as necessary as oxygen, and he was certain his life was better for it.

"I'd miss you." She was no longer reluctant to admit it. She was even determined to prove it. Her bare hands lightly pressed against his chest, and, taking a short gasp of breath, she pressed her lips to his cheek.

It was as if she'd blown down a house of cards, as Mickey's body suddenly collapsed against the wall. He leaned against it, trying to find footing, while his knees knocked against each other. His entire face was redder than the sun setting outside, and Minnie stared at him, completely dumbfounded by his reaction. "… What in the world is wrong with you?"

He shook out of a barely contained glee, pointing wildly to his affected cheek. "… Y-Y-Ye kissed me!"

"So?" She put her hands on her hips, not accepting this right away as an adequate cause for his meltdown. "You've kissed me tons of times! What's the difference?"

"_Ye_ kissed _me_ fer the first time!" He jabbed at his cheek continuously, as that was the only explanation that he felt was needed. "Ye kissed me!" he repeated the words over and over, clutching his hands to his heart, looking like a moron but no longer caring. He could die happy right then and there. She had kissed him! After a whole year of putting the moves on her, she had finally kissed him! And what a kiss! What greater heaven could any holy man create than this kiss? His entire body reverberated with sheer bliss, easily able to pass out right then and there.

Minnie still couldn't entirely understand it, but now she was blushing identical shades. All of this, just because she kissed him on the cheek? "You're… you're such a … you're a real…" She couldn't sputter a single insult as flattery stopped her tongue each time. Did she really have that much of an effect on him? It was almost embarrassing. She cleared his throat, and made a grab for his arm. "C-come on already!"

Mickey dizzily managed to get his legs to start working. "Huh? Where we goin'?"

"As long as you're here, I may as well show you around." By now she'd do anything to make him stop that display that made her happy for entirely ridiculous reasons.

She only showed him the inside of the house, not wanting to risk him being caught outside. Though the house was small, they managed to go for hours through each room as Minnie detailed the history of her family with Mickey adding witty commentary every so often. In the kitchen, she made dinner for both of them, and though Mickey whined about the lack of rum to go with his meal, he was still quick to comment that she was a good cook. "A fine quality fer me wife", he quipped, which earned him a smack on the hand from her spoon. They went through old photograph albums, and while Minnie tried to hide the photos of her as a child, Mickey snatched them out of her hands and cooed about what a little darling she was.

They shared stories in the living room near the fireplace. Mickey learned Minnie was especially ticklish on her left side. Minnie found out that whispering directly into Mickey's ears was his biggest weakness. Mickey tried to encourage Minnie to try on her other dresses, but the moment he made it clear he wouldn't leave the room for her to change, all he got was a punch to the nose. As more time passed, Mickey noted that while Minnie had tons of history to share, he had little to give back. Despite Mickey's giant ship, large crew and endless amounts of treasure, Minnie just seemed to have so much more in her life. This was a real home. He didn't want to leave.

The tour ended back at Minnie's bedroom, and when she had finished telling the tales behind all the items, they were both surprised to push back the curtains and see that the moon and stars were out in the late night sky. Minnie commented on the obvious. "Oh. It's late."

"So it is." Mickey wasn't sure what else to say to that, and there seemed to be a sense of dread coming from both of them. The day had ended a long time ago. Perhaps this time together was also done.

Minnie sat down on her bed, and began to remove her boots. "I suppose you have to go back to the ship before they worry about you."

"Maybe." His hand touched the window, but other than that, he made no movement to open it. The ship seemed thousands of miles away now.

But even he was surprised to hear Minnie quietly ask "Can you… stay a little longer?" She didn't even try to follow up with a rushed denial of feelings. It was a simple question, and he simply nodded in turn, taking off his jacket. She lay down on the bed, and he sat by her side, looking down at her. He took off her headband and laid it next to her gloves, and she didn't object. He stroked her fur, and idly tugged at the little curl of black near her cheek. Minnie only lay there, and then in the same small tone asked another question. "…You really do love me, don't you?"

"Aye." Though he knew he no longer needed to argue it, the day together had given him new ways to drive the point home. "I think… I'd give up everythin' I got just ta be with ye." No more stealing. No more crimes. No more piracy. If what Minnie planned was really possible, if she could really change the laws so piracy no longer was a death sentence, maybe he could give it up. There was no theft that could bring him this same kind of happiness. What greater adventure could he ask for than to spend the rest of his life with her? The life he led now was so fleeting and could end in an instant. Phasir had taught him that. If he was to die, he wanted to die doing what actually gave him satisfaction.

He shifted around, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. When he was close enough, Minnie hugged his arm, and buried her face into it. Everything was going to be all right. It was going to be better than all right. Come the morning, she and Mickey would round up their friends and tell Captain Amelia everything they knew. Magica would be stopped, and they would be hailed as heroes, with Minnie being promoted. They would change the laws, and Mickey would be free of the eternal noose around his neck. She would tell Mortimer their engagement was over. Her friends would find happiness with the ones they loved. Her parents would be proud of her. She would be able to be with the man she… the man she…

She opened her mouth to say something, but then they looked at each other, they found a mutual desire, and she decided what she wanted to say could wait until later. There would be plenty of time in the future to tell him everything. Their mouths met together, and for once they shared a kiss that was wanted on both ends. It was unsaid but felt that this was the best one of them all. Warm, soft, sweet, and yet, despite how glorious it was, it was not enough. When they eventually pulled back from each other, they automatically understood a powerful force had been unlocked. They needed more. Now that they had one another, they needed everything they had.

They kissed and kissed again. Fingers were kissed, ears were kissed, everything was claimed and nothing existed outside of their embrace. Only names were said, and not turtledove, not captain, but Mickey, Minnie, Mickey, Minnie, the one meant for them, the name they were meant to say and belong to. Nothing was held back, desperate to have everything in this moment even though they both believed they would have forever. But why wait, when everything was offered and everything was received with great gratitude.

Faint traces of the moonlight watched them, and when it touched their entwined hands, the ring on Minnie's finger took on a different shine.

* * *

><p>The good news for Daisy was that with each passing day, her and Donald's relationship was patched up a little better. The bad news for Daisy? Where did she even begin? That morning she was in a race against time and only won by seconds when she arrived at Minnie's house, banging on the door. "Minnie? Minnie, please, tell me you're there!" But then even if Minnie was there, the trouble was still to come. The dreadful news was going to follow Minnie no matter where she went, but Daisy was blindly hoping that somehow she could delay it. Maybe she could offer Minnie refuge at her house, or with Millie, but right now she didn't even have time to make plans.<p>

The front door was unlocked, and Daisy scrambled to get inside the house. She had been there many times before, since she was one of Minnie's dearest friends, so she made directly for Minnie's bedroom. She nearly tripped over her own feet getting upstairs, only to find that Minnie's bedroom door was locked. "Minnie! Minnie, wake up!" Daisy used both fists to bang on the door, hysterical in her fear. "You need to get up and get out, now! Right this instant! Please, Minnie!" Daisy could hear Minnie grumbling, along with the scuffling of cloth. Strangely, there was a second voice sounding just as irritable, but Daisy couldn't quite pinpoint it.

The door unlocked and opened, but only marginally, so that part of Minnie's face could be seen. "The one morning you wake me up early, and I'm not even on duty." Minnie yawned, rubbing one of her eyes. "What is it, Daisy?"

"You have to get out of here!" Daisy grabbed the door and tried to open it further, but Minnie stayed in place, not letting it go further. "Right now!"

"What for?" Minnie looked like she was trying to signal to someone behind her, and her fur looked very messy. "Can this wait until I'm properly dressed?"

"No, it can't! Now let me in!" Fear gave her strength, and with a great push, she managed to slam the door open all the way. She was about to spill out all the trouble they were in when her eyes got hold of something terrible.

There Mickey sat on Minnie's bed, wearing only his trousers, and trying to smooth down an unruly patch of fur between his ears. "And a good mornin' ta ye, she-devil."

Daisy took a good, long look at him, and then an equally good and equally long look at Minnie, who it appeared had put on her uniform in seconds as evidenced by it falling off her body halfway and her gloves on the wrong fingers. Minnie's expression was no better, with her face scarlet and her petite features shakily donning a nervous grin. "… Daisy… I can explain."

Daisy momentarily forgot about the reason she was there in the first place, and began to shriek at the top of her lungs. Minnie slammed the door close and grabbed Daisy by the beak, snapping her mouth shut. She waited a moment for Daisy to try and get settled. "Now, when I let go, you promise you won't scream?"

Daisy hesitated, but then nodded, and so Minnie let her go. Daisy inhaled deeply, and pointed wildly at Mickey. "First, EW! EW! EWWW! Are you kidding me? Minnie! Really? EW!"

"She makes fer a good alarm clock, I'll give her that." Mickey slid off the bed, putting his jacket back on.

Minnie grimaced, adjusting her headband so that it would fit properly. "Look, Daisy… it was a one night mistake."

"With six more beautiful mistakes after."

"_Shut up, Mickey_!"

Daisy decided she didn't want to know any more details. She shook her head hard, reminding herself of why she was there. "Look, I'll throw up about this later. We need to get you both out of here as soon as possible!" No longer willing to wait for any more delays, she took Minnie by the hand and began running with her out of the room. Mickey curiously began to follow, grabbing his boots along the way.

"Daisy, please!" Minnie tried to get Daisy to slow down, but her efforts were in vain. "What is the emergency? I don't understand!" Daisy usually loved to babble and gossip, but the fact she hadn't been clear about a single detail meant that this was serious issue. Daisy almost looked ready to cry from hysteria, but managed to stop at the closed front door.

"Clarabelle and I were summoned to see Captain Amelia today, and she's coming here with Mortimer." She let go of Minnie's hand in order to gesture all over the room, her voice becoming higher pitched as the situation she described became worse. "Mortimer wants to get you dishonorably discharged because of your relationship with Mickey! And you!" She grabbed Mickey, violently shaking him back and forth. "They want to publicly execute you in the city! There's a gigantic reward out for your crew, and the Generals are willing to work with any pirate in order to have you!" She left no time for any of this to sink in as she now grabbed Minnie for her turn to be shaken. "Mortimer told Amelia he'd make sure the public knew all about all the times you two were together, even if you were just a hostage, and make it look like you were having an affair! If you aren't discharged and don't marry him, he'll destroy the N.A.V.Y.'s credibility! Clarabelle is stalling them for as long as she can, so we have to get you both out of here and figure something out!" With everything out in the open, she needed to take several deep breaths.

Mickey and Minnie could not find words to say, even when they looked at each other. They couldn't even register what had been said. Last night everything was perfect. This morning, everything was close to total ruin. Daisy managed to catch her breath, and went to the door. "Phew. I think that helped me lose some calories. Okay, we'll go to my place, Donald and I will hide you until we can think of how to fix things. Time to go!" She opened the door, and would have screamed at what was on the other side, but her throat was still exhausted.

Mortimer they could have handled. They could have maybe even handled Captain Amelia. But now outside of Minnie's home was not only Mortimer and Amelia, but Captain Jane, General Helga, and several armed privates of the N.A.V.Y., awaiting orders. Mortimer took one look at the occupants inside and laughed darkly, needing to hold himself at the cruel hilarity of the situation. "If it isn't the Captain himself! I knew you'd be here, Minerva, but you actually brought him with you? What a perfect wedding gift!"

Minnie couldn't find the ability to breathe. "Wait… wait, I can… Please, Captain Amelia, there's so much I have to tell you, and-"

"You disobeyed a direct order." Amelia's tone was grave, but she kept her stance of superiority. She had to do her duty, regardless of personal feelings. "I am extremely disappointed in you, Private."

"No, no, please, wait-" Minnie's eyes filled with tears. What was happening?

She wasn't even allowed time to grieve as Helga moved quickly forward, barging into the room and punching Mickey directly into his stomach. He gagged, dropping to his knees, and Helga slapped a pair of cuffs on his hands. "The execution will be in a week." She ignored his pitiful gasps for breath, and grabbed him by the cuffs, beginning to drag him away.

Minnie screamed his name and made a run for him – "_No_! Execution – you can't- he's not –No, Mickey- _Mickey_!" But even that wasn't allowed as Mortimer scooped her up, and although he winced in pain as she kicked at him, he would not let her go. "Please! You can't kill him! No, no, no! _Please_!"

Her cries were heard but not responded to. Amelia wordlessly came to Minnie, and ripped her headband off. That was all Minnie needed to know of her future in the N.A.V.Y., and Amelia turned to leave, crushing the headband tightly. Daisy could do nothing but stand and watch as the tragic scene unfolded.

Eventually, Mickey was put into a carriage and driven off along with the other armed privates. Eventually, Minnie stopped fighting and Mortimer put her down, telling her of the wedding plans he already set in motion. Eventually, Daisy was forced to leave. Eventually, Minnie stopped crying.

It began to snow.

* * *

><p>In America, Goofy made a startling revelation as he reread the tale of Atlantis, and felt he had to leave at once.<p>

In Italy, Drake came to the same revelation, and started trying to convince the Privates that held him and his family captive of what was going to happen.

In England, Magica decided that in a week's time, everything would be ready.

**End of Chapter Thirty-Two.**


	33. Rings Versus Reality

_Lies is my sweet valentine, because she's the sweetest editor ever!_

* * *

><p>Mickey was cold, but that was obvious just by looking at him. He was still wearing the same clothes he had been arrested in a week ago, and they weren't made for low temperatures. There were chained cuffs around his wrists, and as they touched fur and skin, they caused him to shiver. The snow was an obvious indicator of chilly it was, though it wasn't sticking to the ground. One could be dressed impeccably, and yet one look at him and they would feel frozen to the bone. That was how the crowd felt as they watched him walk in the town square as they awaited his execution.<p>

A small wooden platform had been set up with a singular noose hanging in the brisk wind. Ten privates stood around it protectively, five from the N.A.V.Y. and five from the A.R.M.Y., though exactly for whose protection no one could be certain of. The mouse was bound and outnumbered, and was being led to the gallows by Generals Helga and Rourke, along with Captains Amelia and Jane. The crowd mumbled and whispered to each other, shaking in their cold clothes, because as they watched Mickey walk, the sense of cold was more than just his clothes and chains. There was something they couldn't describe about his eyes that seemed frozen, as if any life inside of him was already dead. The Generals were just getting rid of an empty husk.

As the group reached the platform, the ten privates saluted and then stood aside to allow them through. Amelia and Jane stayed back, and each step up those small stairs lasted an eternity. Weak willed spirits in the crowd already started to turn away or cover their eyes. As Helga began to shove Mickey's head into the noose, Jane looked to Amelia, choking on her shock. "We can't really be letting this happen." She whispered, but Amelia wouldn't face her. "Isn't there something we can do?"

Perhaps Amelia had given up long ago and even the thought of resistance was deaf to her ears. Perhaps she was already planning something and was waiting for the right minute to go into it. Perhaps it was something, perhaps it was nothing, but for one reason or another, her eyes were transfixed on Mickey's jacket. There was an odd bulge in one of his pockets.

Minnie was a wind-up doll. Every morning when she woke up since the day after Mickey had been arrested, she robotically walked through the motions of each day, obeying every order without question and thought no more of it. Her mind and emotions had shut down, if not completely disappeared. She spoke little during those days, and only when a nod or shake of the head wouldn't suffice. Several times her parents tried to talk her out of it, asking what had happened, what they could do, but Minnie wouldn't reply. Even a talk to her friends gave them nothing more than a disturbed glassy-eyed appearance. To her, life would be better as a doll.

It may have been for the best that her friends couldn't attend her wedding. Clarabelle and Daisy had been put around the city to make sure Mickey's crew wouldn't intervene with the execution, and Millie just didn't have the stomach to watch something she was so thoroughly against. The church was decorated in a lovely fashion, and those who sat in the pews were genuinely happy for the couple. Yet when the music began and all turned to see the bride start to walk down the aisle, none could deny there was hideousness in her. Her dress was pretty, her make-up flawless, and she walked with perfect precision. However, though none could pinpoint it, there was ugliness in her doll smile. There was fakeness so strong and so disgusting that made the families and friends go quiet.

Minnie didn't care. Dolls didn't care. She didn't hear her father at her side gently whispering to her, trying one more time to encourage her to say how she felt about the whole affair. She didn't see the awkward stares of everyone she passed. Things were better this way, because if she didn't hear, if she didn't see, if she felt nothing, then she would never be hurt again. This is how she would spend the rest of her life. She would wind herself up every day, obey her husband, and go through the motions. There would be no crying, no anguish, no dreaming of possibilities that were never possible to begin with.

Even Mortimer couldn't deny the creepiness of his bride's straight forward stare, but unlike everyone else in the chapel, he shook it off. He just had to get this over with, and then he'd be in high standing with his high society friends again. He took her hand when it was time, though it felt weak and lay there like a dead fish. Mortimer nodded to the owl priest, and though the holy man was nervous at the girl who didn't raise her head, he started.

Minnie had small mantras going through her head. Just stand. Just breathe. Just be quiet. She kept those going over and over, not letting even a flicker of memory try to interrupt. This had to be better than the alternative, than to let those terrifying thoughts claw at her throat and kill her with their misery. Just don't think. Just look ahead. Don't do anything. Just be a doll. Just live. Just exist.

"… And now, the exchanging of the rings." The owl waved towards a young boy, who held a fancy pillow with the official wedding rings.

Mortimer held up Minnie's limp hand, but instead of then reaching over to the pillow to take the new ring, he stopped, startled, and pulled Minnie's hand closer to his face for better clarification. "What…. What is this? This isn't the ring I gave you!" Furious over the money he had wasted, he shoved the hand back to her, demanding an explanation as those in the pews gasped and spoke of the change. "Where is my ring?"

Minnie slowly held up her hand before her face. He was right, this wasn't the ring he had mailed to her while she was aboard the Hawkins. Minnie blinked once, and then she recognized it. It was the ring Mickey stole and offered to her when they were on Oswald's ship. When Minnie accidentally let that memory slip in, another one forced itself in, as she understood the only time he had could have had the chance to make the switch. When Minnie was recovering from Mirage's attack, she had collapsed on Mickey's ship, and he must have switched the rings when she was unconscious. Since Minnie had been trying to avoid her engagement, she never had a reason to actually take a good long look at the ring and notice the differences. He had been with her this entire time.

Her defenses were cracked, and more memories flooded in. The first time he called her turtledove. The first time he called her by her name. His proposal – his kiss – the chases – the laughs – the fights – an entire year's worth of time grabbed the wind up key in her back, and yanked it out. Her face was wet – when had the tears started? – and her body shook. She clutched the sides of her face as the feelings she had been blocking now overcame her, but there was no resistance to her. "I… I can't… do… this…"

There was no point in answering Mortimer's shouted 'What?' for he wouldn't understand the answer. Possibly no one in the church would. She held her veil in her fingers and began pulling it off, ripping in the process, and opened her mouth for a wordless scream. Why couldn't she do this? Why couldn't she remain a dead doll? She was sobbing and screaming and didn't give two cents about anyone who heard her because it had to be said and had to be said now.

"_Because I love him!_ Because I want to be by his side, forever! Because I want to protect him and I want him to protect me! Because he makes me happy! Because he cares about me and what I want! Because he means everything to me! Because I don't want to live without him! Because he makes me mad, he drives me crazy, he's stupid, and stubborn, and wonderful, and _I need him more than anything in this world_!"

She grabbed the dress in her hands and began to run back down the aisle. She knew full well she could be too late and that Mickey's life could already have ended. Despite it all, she had to see him again. She had to see his face one more time, she had to hold him one more time, and tell him how she felt. She could hear Mickey asking her that soul-shattering question from the Hawkins – "What do ye want?" – and she screamed this too. "_I want to see you_!" She was at last entirely honest with herself, without a drop of denial, without any more hesitation, and alive. For the first time in her life, she was alive.

The doors were flung open, but not by Minnie. Now standing in her way were Daisy, Clarabelle, and Millie, each girl absolutely horrified and exhausted. They hadn't been there to bring their objections, as Daisy frantically began grabbing at people in the pews, trying to get them out. "Everyone, get out of here, right now! This is an emergency!" The people's cries and questions were drowned out as the ground began to shake, and cracks started to appear in the stain glass windows. Sounds of destruction controlled the world outside, and the terrified citizens ran out without further instruction. Millie quickly scooped up Minnie into her arms to avoid her being run over by the frantic crowd, Mortimer included.

The four girls stayed close together in a corner, and Minnie tried to pull off the remains of her veil, unable to understand anything. "What in the world is going on?"

"It's the second race!" Millie held Minnie close to her chest, her voice cracking with fear. "Just like in the Atlantis fairy tale! The second race has risen and is wiping out the first race of humanity!" Minnie could hardly understand her taller friend's babbling, but the other girls weren't denying what was being said. When the church was emptied, the four went out to show Minnie what was happening, and when Millie placed Minnie back on the ground, she had the perfect view of the end of the world.

The metallic spheres that had decorated the city were alive. The ancient writing that covered them now glowed a familiar violet, and coiled arms and legs had sprouted from their sides, smashing anything in their paths. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their destruction, and the massive mechanical beings stomped around, waving their limbs erratically to demolish all. The girls stood there, dumbstruck as they saw their home torn to pieces by beings they could never have dreamed up.

"It's Magica." Clarabelle answered the unspoken question, blinking away tears of fear. "Like the fairy tale said… the heart that controls the second race… it's that staff she's always carrying around." Though none nodded, they all agreed. Everything was clicking together in their minds in the worst ways.

"What do we do?" Daisy asked the obvious, but of course no one answered her. What kind of orders could be given in this madness? They stood in awe of the hell continuing around them, unable to move, unable to think, unable to conceive that this was happening… except for Minnie. She had already done the whole 'shut down your body' business, and she wasn't about to go return to that so easily.

It was then that Minnie noticed what Clarabelle had been carrying this whole time. In her hands were Minnie's steam-powered skates, and her N.A.V.Y. belt, holding her pistol and sword. Minnie yanked them out of Clarabelle's hands, and without a second of hesitation pulled out the sword to cut her wedding dress around her knees. Once she was sure she would be able to run without tripping, she put the sword back in its scabbard, and began to put her skates on. "I'm going to find Mickey." She said with finality, not awaiting approval from her friends.

The girls looked at each other, slowly understood and then nodded. What mattered most was to protect the ones they loved. They had joined the N.A.V.Y. to protect their home, but what good was that if they couldn't protect those they held dear? They all came close for a group hug, not letting the idea that this could be their last one give them any doubts of what they were ready to do. They parted, stepped back for a good look at one another, and then split apart. They left behind the title of privates, and went into the battlefield as who they were – Minerva Mouse, Daisy Duck, Clarabelle Cow, and Millicent Manchester.

* * *

><p>If Pete had a nickel for every time his glass eye was broken, he could afford to surgically get himself a real one to replace it. Today was no exception, and it was a struggle to fight the behemoths with only one good eye. Mickey's ship had already been smashed to the ground by these monstrosities, and the crew members had split in a panic to find the ones they cared for. Pete was trying to do the same now, standing on top of rubble and trying to jam a gun he had stolen into his mechanical arm. "I need another minute, it's almost attached!"<p>

"It ain't up ta me how long ya got!" Pistol Peg stood behind him, though not directly back to back. She was firing with both hands, trying to make dents in the surrounding machines. "Just remember, ya ain't allowed ta die until I say so! I ain't joinin' Davy Jones until ya get a ring on me finger!"

"Good ta know yer gunna be immortal!" Pete managed to find the strength to guffaw loudly, his weapon click into place. "Ya wanna take her up instead, Horace?"

Horace stood between their backs, holding a small radio to his chest in an effort to signal for help. "No thanks! In case ya didn't hear, Clarabelle and I are together now!" He hadn't understood the chaos going on, but had gone into the field to try and be some help. Surprises built on top of each other as Pete and Peg not only found him, but were defending him as they still remembered about the condition of his back.

"I thought ye were already datin' her!" Peg giggled wildly as she reloaded, the trio shoving away their terror by making casual conversation with flying bullets. "Guess I can't let ye die either, or I'll never hear the end of it!"

"She always was a loud one!" Pete took aim with his arm, and fired off at the arm of a monster. It sizzled and cracked, the limbs weaker than the sphere shell in the middle. "Aim fer the limbs! If they can't move, they can't do squat!"

"Sounds like ye after a meal!" Peg was ready to fire again, but someone took the spot she was aiming for, firing three rounds into a machine's leg. They looked from whence the shots came, and running into the dust and debris were Clarabelle and Millie, proving that they had earned their status in the N.A.V.Y. for good reason. "If it ain't the cavalry! Took yer sweet time!"

"You're welcome!" Clarabelle shot out once more, and then safely made it to Horace's side, kissing him soundly on the lips before firing off more shots around her. "Who have you been able to contact?"

Horace's mind spun for a brief few seconds at the lip lock, but he shook his head quickly enough to clear it. "It's happenin' all over the world, but we're bein' hit the hardest! The other Kingdoms are able ta handle it, but we're the most that need help!"

That wasn't entirely true at that moment. The one that needed the most help that moment was Millie, as they suddenly heard her screaming. She had tripped over what was once a lamppost, and now one of the machines loomed over her, raising a circular foot to stomp her into the ground. Her friends couldn't move in time to save her – and they didn't have to, as a new body rushed in, grabbing her out of the way as it crushed the street below. She was now safely in Goofy's arms, who had arrived to the scene in mere seconds. Dressed regally and wearing a lop-sided crown, he smiled cheerfully down at her, brushing some dirt out of her hair. "Hiya, Millie! Miss me much?" He would guess yes, judging by the jubilant screech of his name and the kisses that covered his face soon after.

"Your highness!" Not too far behind Goofy were dozens of privates from the kingdom of America, holding up their guns in the direction of Pete and Peg. "What are your orders?"

Goofy held up a hand, pouting at their pointers. "Whatcha aimin' at me friends fer? Take down the second race, a course!" He huffed as he put Millie down, shaking his head. "And they call me Goofy!" he faced his companions, noting that surprised expression of the pirates. "Well, I figured out the whole second race thing a while ago, but it wasn't easy gettin' back here. But I wasn't gunna let anyone hurt me friends! Ain't that right?"

The overwhelming sense of camaraderie caused them all to smile, feeling the same unity that had helped them fight together when going against Barnaby. Though times had changed them and they were on the opposite sides of both law and class, their friendship had never truly stopped. They stood together, ready to bleed for one another, for they were not N.A.V.Y., A.R.M.Y, pirate, or even royalty. They were six friends who loved each other through thick and thin, six children who played together, six adults who shared a home, shared a land, and shared the fight.

Guns drawn and bullets fired, Clarabelle gave one last try to surprise someone with her good news. "Hey, Goofy, Horace and I are dating now!"

"Well shoot, Clarabelle, I thought ye two were already datin'!"

* * *

><p>The bridge that held the Justice Duck's headquarters was being torn apart like ribbons, which spelled bad news for the small family that had taken refuge in it. Launchpad, Donna, Ms. Beakly, Ducksworth, Goldie, and Donald were now in for the race of their lives as they ran across the bridge, which was being demolished behind them. Their troubles then escalated, as at the beginning of the bridge was another machine, and the group was stuck. Resolved to go down fighting, Launchpad slapped on his goggles and fired from a small gun he had stored away from emergencies in an effort to protect Donna. Ducksworth still held onto the iron poker from the McDuck mansion, and used it to stab at any limbs that came close in an effort to protect Ms. Beakly. Donald found he didn't have to protect Goldie, as she was more than capable of protecting herself with her fully loaded shotgun. As such, Donald was feeling slightly useless, and though he fired with his own weapon, it was doing little good.<p>

He heard a distinct call of his name, but thought he had imagined it, because there was no way Daisy could be around. He heard it again, and couldn't deny its existence this time, as Daisy appeared, sliding in between the space between the machine's legs in order to get to the group. Dodging its stomping foot by a hair's length, Daisy threw herself at Donald, holding onto his arm. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you! You have to - "

"Oh, no!" Donald pulled back, having an idea of what ludicrous demand she was going to make. "I'm not going to go into hiding! I'm staying out here and fighting! I have to protect my family!" He then gripped her by the shoulders, speaking rapidly to make her understand as fast as possible. "I know you don't think I can fight well, but I just can't stand aside! I'm going to give this everything I can, and I won't let you stop me! I'm fighting for them and for you! I am going to protect you, even if it's only for a little while! I will die fighting! Do you hear me?"

Daisy then grabbed him by the beak to make him stop talking. "You have to come with me, Donald." He blinked, and she let him go, taking her turn to be fully honest. "I can't fight any of these things without knowing you're safe, so that means you have to fight alongside me. You're not allowed to leave my side. We're doing this together, because if you're not okay, then I don't have a reason to fight. I need you."

Donald was instantly humbled, but he couldn't stop smiling as he finally heard that he was needed and that he was useful. "Then we're doing this together, toots!" He held her hand, and they beamed at each other, at last becoming true fiancés.

"Gee guys, this is really touching…" Launchpad hated to interrupt, but he was running out of ammo. "… But I don't think this guy is going to let us leave his side either!" The behemoth that stood before him wasn't going to allow anyone to go through its legs again, but if they didn't leave the bridge soon, it would collapse entirely and bring them all into the ocean. Donna began to yell as the machine lurched forward, ready to crush them.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night!"

Blue smoke exploded at its feet, and a grappling hook was thrown around one of the machine's arms. "I am the badge on the uniform of justice!" A roped arrow was thrown around the other arm, and with shots fired from the smoke, along with the rough tugging on both the hook and arrow's ropes, the metal monstrosity was brought down, unable to lift it back up. The smoke cleared, revealing the temporary heroes. "I… am Darkwing Duck!" But he was not alone. At his sides stood Gosalyn, attaching a new arrow to her bow, Morgana with a black market bought gun, and the Italian privates Jose and Panchito, blowing smoke off of their pistols. "And he never leaves his sidekicks waiting long!"

Donald had never been so happy to see someone so stupidly dressed. "You made it back! You're still the craziest duck I've ever known!"

"Save the compliments for later!" Darkwing waved at them, and they remembered the imminent danger behind them. They all began to run for the somewhat safety of secure land, and Darkwing reloaded his grappling gun. "I convinced these fine fellows to let us out and take us home. Now let's find Magica, and bring her down!"

"Just remember not to get in my way!" Goldie snapped, her anger incited even further by hearing that woman's name. Jose and Panchito took over protecting Donna, flirting as they shot around, even more eager to help now that they had someone very pretty to protect. Donald still held on Daisy's hand, making sure the two never lost sight of each other. Each member of this group had become a Justice Duck in their own way, and they now all needed each other to survive. Even Donald now knew he was finally a part of something helpful and useful, and he tightened his grip on Daisy's hand. He noticed her finger had started to heal, and it encouraged him all the more.

* * *

><p>It's funny how life works, Amelia thought as she lay on the snowy ground. Giving birth had been one of the most painful experiences in her life, and it was really helping her now, because while she was in pain all over, it was still nothing compared to childbirth. It was odd, the things that could come in handy. Even odder was that she was still alive thanks to a pirate. She looked up, seeing Mickey stand over her, checking her over for any serious wounds. She supposed having to thank him would be better than dying, but that didn't make it any more comfortable.<p>

The machines had been brought to life just as Helga had finished tightening the noose around Mickey's neck. Then Helga and Rourke had begun clutching their heads in utmost pain, their eyes glowing harsh violet, before trying to fire their weapons at the crowd. Jane and Amelia had jumped into action to stop them, but just as they had knocked the generals out, one of the machines loomed over them, ready to crush them. It was then that Mickey had whipped out the bulge from his pocket – a yoyo, of all things – and used it to pull the girls out of the way. He had saved their lives, and as he looked them over now, he was satisfied to see they hadn't been too harmed.

Amelia began to sit up. "… Why didn't you use that toy to save yourself earlier?"

Mickey shrugged, offering her his tail to stand up with, since his hands were cuffed. "Fergot I had it 'til now."

Amelia didn't doubt this statement in the slightest. "… Thank you. You didn't have to save us. You could have-"

"What's with everyone fergettin' me vow?" Mickey let her hand go, a tad insulted. "I don't kill! And I knew what that thing was gunna do, and if I didn't help out, that'd be just as good as killin' ye with me own hands, now wouldn't it?" He then turned around, showing his cuffed wrists to her. "Mind helpin' me out?"

Jane had now also started getting up, and she saw Amelia unlocking Mickey's cuffs. Jane slowly rose to her feet, speaking softly. "… I guess that… makes us even?"

"Don't worry about it." Mickey rubbed his sore wrists. "I gotta go find me turtledove. Suggest ye two go on and do the same." He didn't wait for any agreement, and started to run away. He knew the town well, and headed for the direction of the church. He managed to duck and dodge as the monsters ravaged the city, staying focused on one goal. He was so focused, in fact, that he didn't see his goal in front of him until she launched herself at his face, tackling him down, screaming his name and smothering him with kisses.

When Mickey recovered his senses, his arms lashed out and grabbed Minnie's, shoving her back. "Hello there." He raised his eyebrows at her tattered remains of a dress. "Guess yer not Morty's anymore."

"I want to marry you!" Minnie squeaked, shaking in his touch, and ignoring the world's doom around them. "And I want to live with you, and I want to have kids with you, and I want to eat with you and drink with you and be with you and-"

"Swell." Mickey tried to interrupt, for once and probably the only time the saner one in the relationship. "But can that wait?" he pointed upwards, reminding her of the annihilation going around them. "I ain't a romantic, but I don't think now's the best time."

"Fine." Minnie climbed off of him and smoothed down the remains of her outfit. "But once this is all over, you're marrying me." She pulled him up, and then shoved him to get him walking.

"Was that a proposal?" Mickey gently teased as the two started to break into a run, knowing exactly where they needed to go.

"You would know!"

* * *

><p>Magica's mansion wasn't exactly where everyone remembered it. By now, four of the largest machines had lifted it up into the air, and Magica stood on the roof, surveying the ruination with mad glee. Scrooge silently stood behind her, his eyes glowing the same color as the orb on her staff, holding a sword clasped in both of his hands. "A new age has already begun!" Magica told the masses below her, although nobody could hear her or was listening. "There will be no mercy for those who cannot accept it! The second race will rule all! I will rule all!" She threw back her head as more insane laughter escaped her, and she held her staff high to the sky. Nothing would stand in her way now. "This is my world now! This is my age! Bow down and worship your goddess!" She leered down at the panicked people below, trying to see if anyone was bowing. It was difficult to tell, but there was a speck of white that seemed to be coming closer and closer –<p>

And then Minnie launched into Magica, punching her across the face. Her steam powered skates had given her enough power to fly up towards the madwoman, and shut off just as Minnie needed to land. She then pulled out her blade as Magica stood up, her white feathery cheek darkened with a bruise. Magica's breath grew labored as she saw who attacked her, her panic returning. "You! Why are you still alive? Why are you still here? Youuu!" She knew Minnie was never alone, and taking another look downwards, she saw Mickey climbing up the machines, and then up the mansion. "You both! You two keep running everything! Scrooge, get him!" Scrooge silently went to the edge of the roof, waiting for Mickey's arrival.

"Magica DeSpell, you're under arrest!" Minnie raised her sword, and Magica blocked it with her staff. "Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law!"

"Shut up!" Magica hissed, spit frothing out of her mouth as the two swung back and forth with staff and sword. "I won't let you do this to me! You have no idea what I've been through! You have no idea what it's like to love someone, to need someone, but all you are is just another notch on their belt!" She took a hard swing at Minnie's head, but Minnie was younger, small, and faster. "He could have loved me, but he already had that woman! I was born too late, he already knew her! It wasn't my fault! This world made me too late to have his heart!" The mansion was shaking underneath them, but it never deterred or stopped the battle. "This world wouldn't let me have him… so I knew I had to change the world! I will make this into a world where I can have him! I will bring change!"

Minnie ducked again, and kicked Magica hard enough in the stomach to send her stumbling backwards. "That won't happen! This world needs changing, but not for something so selfish! That's not love at all!" Minnie walked up to her, but Magica was already standing. "If you want to make change, it should be for the good of everyone! If you really love someone, you will do what it takes to make them happy! But until you understand these things, you won't be accepted in any world!" Their weapons locked, pressing into each other. "I will change the world for everyone I love, because that's what will make them happy!"

The mansion then started to tilt to a side, and both women fell down. As they sat on their knees, they could see down below groups were attacking the machines supporting the mansion, lending their help to Minnie's fight. Even those who had worked under Magica were putting all their effort into bringing her down. Pirates, A.R.M.Y., N.A.V.Y., royalty, commoners, vigilantes, everyone was one mighty force. With this, Minnie could see those she loved, those she was fighting for, and in the heat of battle, heard their tremendous cries of encouragement. They were all in this together, fighting for their new world, fighting for Mickey and Minnie.

Daisy – "Show her what you're made of, Minnie!"

Donald – "Don't leave us to do all the work!"

Clarabelle – "We're with you all the way!"

Horace – "You're not alone!"

Millie – "I believe in you!"

Goofy – "Way to go, Cap'n!"

Pete – "I won't let you lose, pipsqueak!"

Peg – "Fight for your man!"

Darkwing – "Justice Ducks don't quit!"

Morgana – "You're the only ones who can stop her!"

Gosalyn – "Kick her butt!"

Launchpad – "Atta girl, go get her!"

Ducksworth – "I know you can save Mr. McDuck!"

Beakly – "We won't let you down!"

Donna – "This ees our fight too!"

Goldie – "Get my man!"

Oswald – "You'd better do this, Mickey!"

Ortensia – "Earn my brother!"

Jane – "We can win this!"

Delbert – "Hang on strong!"

Amelia – "Don't give up, Private! That's a direct order!"

Hundreds of voices cried out in unity, everyone fought for one cause – Lucius, Helen Parr, Fawn Deer, Jessica Rabbit, Roger Rabbit, Gadget Hackwrench, Baloo, Bill Lizard, Elmo Sputterspark, Quackerjack, Bud Flood, Blackheart and his extended Beagle family, Sweetums, Iago, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Fiona Rapson, Prince Edward, Nancy, Nathanial, Liliac – everyone who had been affected that year was one unstoppable voice, not fighting for just themselves and their loved ones anymore, but for the entire kingdom, the entire world, and for two mice that deserved to be together.

Mickey laughed as he made it to the roof, using his yoyo to go to combat with Scrooge's sword, and Minnie held her blade aloft, ready to dive right back into battle, as both mice were fueled by the voices from below. The voices were also powering Magica but in a darker way, trembling as she stood. "Shut up… shut up… shut up! No, no, no, no, _NO! I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS_!" She then held up her staff, her eyes and the orb glowing together, summoning a nearby machine to do her bidding. "I won't let you win! This is my world! You're not allowed in my world!" The machine pressed down on its legs, and then, using its coils, sprang upwards and jumped into the roof – onto the roof – Magica smacked Minnie's face with the staff, sending her into the machine's shadow – the machine fell into the mansion, taking Minnie with it. Magica didn't even wait for the dust to settle before her mind sent out more demands, ordering the machines that held up her mansion to start heading for the ocean.

As the crowds below struggled to understand what had happened, Goldie wasn't going to let Magica get away by any means. She snatched Darkwing's grappling gun out of his hands, and fired it at the roof, watching it snag a broken gargoyle. It speedily zipped her upwards, taking her along for the jumbled ride.

Mickey was howling Minnie's name, trying to get past Scrooge but the elderly duck wouldn't allow him to pass alive. Magica took joy out of his anguish, waving her staff around and gesturing to the crater of the roof. "You see? You see? I can't be stopped! You two kept getting in my way, kept trying to stop the world I was creating, but I finally stopped you! I win! I win! I win!" Her laughter was sheer ecstasy, her eyes locked on the orb that fulfilled her warped dreams.

They stayed locked even as a shot rang out and pierced the orb, cracking it severely.

"No." Magica held the staff to her eyes. "No." She turned around to the smoking crater. "No…"

With steam still emitting from the skates, Minnie stood on the edge of the crater, having used her skates to avoid most of the damage and fly back up to the fight. She had still gotten injured in the process – scarlet dribbled from her lip, a bone she couldn't identify was definitely broken, and there was a shake to her leg. Yet her eyes were steel, as was her sword in one hand, and in her other the pistol, which was ready to fire again. "You… are under… arrest."

"NOOOOOO!"Magica couldn't move from her place, pulling her hair hard enough to yank out several strands. "Why won't you die? Why! Won't! You! Just! Die!"

"You have…" Minnie breathed heavily, taking one step at a time, her arm with the pistol still ahead of her. "The right… to remain… silent…"

"Shut up!" Magica held up her staff, but the color was beginning to fade. The mansion shook even harder as the machines below began to die, her power over them vanishing.

By the time Goldie had managed to climb up and into the scene, Scrooge was on his knees, lightly groaning and holding his head. "What… where am I…?"

"Where are you?" Goldie shoved a bewildered Mickey out of the way. "You big fool! You put me through all this nonsense, and you don't even know where you are?" She smacked him upside the head, and then pulled him into a hug. "Honestly, I'm getting married to a complete idiot."

Scrooge focused his eyes, and then stood, returning her embrace. "Goldie, love! What happened? Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay, you old git?"

Magica could see the start of this sweet squabbling, and it was the final straw. "Stop it! He's mine! Stop it, stop it, stop it! This is my world, and you're not allowed in!" She turned her back to Minnie, which was a mistake, as Minnie kicked her hard enough in the back to send Magica face-down on the roof.

Minnie then dropped her weapons, sat on Magica's back, and grabbed the staff out of her hands. "No. This is our world." With a final swing of her hands, she smashed the staff next to Magica's head, destroying the orb for good and shutting off the machines once and for all. By this time, the mansion was above the ocean, and was near the bridge that was now saved. The machines under the mansion, no longer under orders, began to curl up back into their original sphere forms. In a couple of minutes, the mansion and everyone on it would be underwater.

Minnie dropped the staff, and stood up, walking a small distance to see the bridge. "We can jump off from here and climb the bridge's support cables." She exhaled deeply, needing large amounts of breath to make full sentences now. "Step lively now."

Mickey hopped over Magica's body, and stood behind Minnie, all smiles. "Ye sure ye wanna get married like that?" He winked teasingly. "Though it does show off yer legs nicely… I still say yer showin' 'em off!"

Magica opened her eyes, and saw Minnie's sword next to her.

Minnie rolled her eyes, putting one hand to her hip. "You know what, Mickey… There's something I've always wanted… to tell you."

Mickey grinned, his gold tooth glimmering in the afternoon sun. "I'm all ears."

Minnie shook her head at his attitude, and took a deep breath. "I - "

There was a horrendous ripping noise, and Minnie's blade was now pointed back at her, sticking through Mickey's stomach from his back. Magica held onto Mickey's shoulder and pressed the handle of the blade as deep as she could make it in, giggling psychotically as Mickey's clothes began to taint with red. "Did you really think… I would let you live… happily ever after?" She then shoved Mickey off the roof before he could even register why he was in so much pain.

Minnie jumped after him without a single waver. Her skates had run out of steam.

Magica kept giggling, breaking into full blown laughter, even as Scrooge and Goldie ran ahead of her, grabbing onto the bridge's cables when they were close enough. Magica kept laughing, sinking to her knees as the mansion sunk with her. Mickey was dead, now everything would be okay. Now everything would be okay. Now everything would be okay. Now everything would be okay, she said over and over, as the water overtook her. In minutes, for her, all her problems would be gone, and truthfully, everything would be okay.

In the sky, Minnie reached for Mickey. They were so far apart, and becoming more distant with each second. Yet somehow she managed to touch his hand. Gravity made her tears fall up before they went down. She had no more strength to scream or yell, so she could only whisper, and hope he heard her.

"I love you."

He smiled, and they hit the water.

There is a significant difference between dreaming that you're drowning, and actually drowning. Nothing can simulate the fire burning in your lungs as your body screams for air, nor the weight you feel as more and more water seeps into your nostrils. It is a particularly painful and slow way to die.

But she had no plans on dying. She had no plans on letting him die either. No matter what it took, she and he were going to survive, and she refused to believe otherwise. In the course of one year, a strength, a confidence, a will to defy death itself had built up within her, and it was now being put to the test. It was all thanks to him.

Him, and her, and the course of one year's time. This is how they got there. In the deep blue, her arms were around his body, and they were being dragged under by their combined weight. The great loss of blood he was enduring was already making him slow down his movement. Minnie kicked her heels together, knowing that there couldn't possibly be any steam left in them but she believed in miracles now. Thanks to him, and all the impossible things he did for her, she believed in the impossible, and so she kicked and kicked and kicked, believing in him, in her, in love and all the beautiful miracles this year had brought her.

Her belief was rewarded, and her skates bubbled in the water, suddenly shooting the two of them upwards one more time until they hit the surface of the water. Ships and boats of all shapes and sizes were in the water, heading right for them, and soon hands grabbed for them, trying to set them apart. Minnie refused to let him go, choking on sea water, and with every breath she had she said the same three words over, until exhaustion overcame her and the world was once more all black.

"I love you!"

**End of Chapter Thirty-Three.**


	34. Ends Versus Beginnings

_Welcome to the final chapter of PVP. Thanks to everyone who stayed with me on this journey. I hope this ending is satisfactory, but you haven't seen the last of me or these troublesome mice. Starting in March, I'll be working on a new AU story with the Sensational Six and more - The Scarlet, a (very) loose retelling of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Anyway, big thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed. Biggest thanks goes to Lies (my glorious editor) , Ange (the co-creator of this world), Cici (designed and inspiration) , Elera (my awesome friend) and countless others who gave me their support._

* * *

><p>Alcatraz hadn't changed much since Mickey had nearly gone there last time. It was still a cold, desolate island in the middle of nowhere, since it was supposed to be a place where people sent pirates so they could be forgotten about forever. Today was the exact opposite. All eyes were on the island, with dozens of ships in the water and in the air going around the world renowned prison. A meeting was happening inside that hadn't been heard of in years, and everyone wanted to listen in on it. On this mutual territory, the rulers of the four kingdoms were deciding the fate of piracy.<p>

Mickey and Minnie had been pulled from the cold water and rescued, and their injures had been tended to. Magica's body couldn't be found, but her vile deeds were exposed and the world did not know how to move on. Mickey and Minnie were undeniably heroes, but he was a pirate, and she was a discharged private who had illegally used her weapons. Then there was the matter of all the pirates who had helped during the second race attack. The public called them rogue angels, but they were still sentenced to death if they were caught. In the weeks of cleaning up England, protests cried out every day for Mickey and Minnie's release.

Rourke and Helga had been broken out of their brainwashing, yet they still remained adamant about their execution ideals. With the public threatening riots and the governments absolutely confused on what to do, it was finally decided that the leaders of the kingdoms would meet to discuss what to do with the mice, and following that, what to do with all pirates. It was approaching February by the time the meeting took place, and those outside of the prison seemed united in holding their breath.

In the middle of Alcatraz was a wide room, normally reserved for the executions, but it had been refurbished for the occasion with tables and chairs to accommodate all the guests. The first side had members of the Kingdom of Britain. Captain Amelia and Jane stood side by side while Daisy, Horace and Clarabelle hovered around them nervously, keeping their distance from General Rourke and Helga. Prince Edward and his wife Nancy stood in the middle of the armed officials. Then, one by one, each kingdom's rulers entered, quietly taking their place at their own sides.

From the Kingdom of America, Goofy proudly strutted in with Millie hanging on his arm. The duo cheerfully waved to their friends, though they still had trouble adjusting walking in those long royal robes. Ezekiel walked behind them, looking older than ever, and now needing a walking stick to aide him, but he was not being left behind if he could help it. They were followed by several members of America's N.A.V.Y. and A.R.M.Y., the majority of them stoic and cold compared to their smiling rulers.

Once they had settled, the Kingdom of Africa came after. King Simba, his wife Nala, and their young princess Kiara were silent with each respectful step they took. They all bowed their heads dutifully, though their advisors, Timon and Pumbaa, found it difficult to keep quiet as they chatted amongst themselves about the differences between their kingdoms. Simba shot them a look to try and make them keep it down, but he wound up smiling at them instead. They were also followed by their own N.A.V.Y. and A.R.M.Y. equivalents, some of them towering over their mighty king.

The Kingdom of Asia was the last, but they had the least amount to bring with them. The King was often simply called the Emperor, due to respect of his kingdom's cultural origins. He had no wife or child, but there were rumors he planned to hand down his dynasty to a female warrior. In any case, she wasn't among his guards. He only had members of the A.R.M.Y. around him, and they were an unusual sight, with some short, some fat, some lean, and all of them ready to pick a fight until their General, Shang, cleared his throat and they all went rigid. With all four kingdoms in attendance, there were only two more people they needed for this meeting. Everyone watched the entrance for their arrival.

A warden led Mickey and Minnie in, and Daisy had to be grabbed by the arm so she wouldn't yell out in anger. Both of them had been handcuffed, and while none of their friends approved of it, they had to hold their arguments for the sake of a civil discussion. Since Minnie had been stripped of her uniform, she was now wearing a simple red dress that had seen better days. She had planned on saving it for a special occasion, and now was a good one as any. Neither mouse showed a trace of fear, keeping their heads held high as they were led to the middle of the room. Whatever was going to happen to them, they were satisfied in knowing they would face it together.

Edward was the first to speak up, rising from his table. "If I may… are the handcuffs necessary? I sincerely doubt either of them proposes much of a threat." Murmurs rippled through the people, but no one objected, save for Rourke and Helga's matching scowls. The warden knelt down to unlock the cuffs, and Minnie was quickly checking Mickey over to see if it had caused him any pain. He whispered a few soothing words to her, stroking her cheek with two fingers, and then lightly grasped her hand. Judging by the tight return of her hand, it would take a force more powerful than any of these governments to separate them now.

The Emperor now stood, his hands hidden under the folds of his robes. "After the World War, our elders decided that in order to keep the peace between our kingdoms, we would all stand together against one common enemy. Piracy was then deemed punishable by death, and since that time, this method has never been called into question. But now…" He sighed, motioning to the prisoners in front of them. "… The times have changed in a way no one could have ever predicted. The greatest threat to our lives was not piracy, but a madwoman who subverted the laws for her own twisted desires. Were it not for the brave actions of these two, I shudder to think of where we would be. Yet our laws, the laws we made in order to protect the lands which these two fought for, decree that they should be punished, and put to death." He lowered his hand, and though it was difficult to tell at first, some guessed that he had balled a fist under his colorful clothes. "I feel, in order to better understand the real weight these two have had on us… on everything… that they should speak of their experiences, and how they came to help us."

Mickey and Minnie exchanged a quick glance, and squeezed each other's hands, instilling confidence where it was needed. They spoke of the year that changed their lives, starting from Mickey getting the assignment to rob the museum. They took their turns to fill in gaps of the story, though Mickey enjoyed some exaggerations here and there, especially pertaining to his own heroism. Not once during the story telling did they let go of each other. No one dared to interrupt them, and soon everyone was invested in the almost impossible tale. Minnie stood in place, retelling details in a calm and civil manner, while Mickey tended to gesture wildly with his body, even imitating some voices and getting a laugh out of the less serious audience members. As it wound down to the final battle, Mickey reeled himself in as he recalled the terrible feeling of when he thought had lost Minnie, and Minnie had to close her eyes when the vivid imagery of the sword going through Mickey's body came to her mind. When they finished, Mickey had an arm around Minnie's shoulders in an effort to protect her from her own memories.

The silence in the air afterwards threatened to choke them all, so it was Simba who was next to rise. "No one can deny your bravery, and it would be impossible for us to imagine what you've been through. But whatever decision we make here could set a dangerous precedent for all pirates. I don't think we can make a special exception for you, and then do nothing about everyone else who commits piracy."

Minnie swallowed, but then shrugged off Mickey's arm, needing to stand up proudly on her own. "Your highness… everyone… we're not asking you to give us a special privilege."

"Actually, I'd like that." Mickey got a heel to the shin for that remark, and shut his mouth quickly.

Minnie coughed lightly, resuming. "Yes, we both committed crimes. What pirates do is inherently wrong. But by having this law that never gives them a chance for redemption is making them into another species entirely. I've learned so much about them during this time, and sometimes piracy is not a choice." She could feel Ortensia behind her, lightly jabbing Minnie to make sure the story was told right, and she envisioned the entire Mousketeer crew around here, hearing her words of hope and redemption. "We live in a society with major divides between the poor and the rich. When you can't afford to feed yourself or your loved ones, you resort to stealing a piece of bread, robbing a store, and then it escalates because no one will help them or give them a chance. Piracy is grand scale theft. The minute they step on a ship and take what wasn't theirs, they have hung the noose around their neck… and all for doing what they have learned since childhood. What right do you have to kill them when they have no other alternatives?"

"That's outrageous!" Rourke banged his hand on the table, startling those around him. "You're blaming us for his crimes? Are we just supposed to babysit every single member of the poor to make sure they don't turn out like him?" Edward tried to cut him off with a harsh snap of his name, but the General went on, undeterred. "I offered Oswald Rabbit a chance to turn over the crew, and he wouldn't! These criminals have a sick hold!"

"It's called a family, ye fool!" Mickey's anger was easily riled, growling at Rourke. "And I won't give 'em up either! I told 'em not ta come and get me when I knew I had ta be with Minnie at all costs! I don't give two licks about all them other pirates in the world… I'm sayin' right here and now that if I get the chance, I ain't ever gunna steal again! I'm givin' up me old life fer a new one, if I'm allowed ta have it!" He grabbed Minnie's hand and held it up in declaration. "I will do anythin' fer her, except give up me family, and I'd never ask any of ye ta do the same!"

Rourke was ready to rant again, but this time it was Amelia who cut him off, choosing to stay seated. "I find we can believe him in that regard. Given his vow to never kill, it would not be too much of a stretch to say that were we prisoners aboard his ship, he would not have us disclose the names and locations of our partners." Mickey nodded to show that was what he had meant, so Amelia went on. "Captain Mickey, if you mean what you say, what would you do with this chance? Would you really stop your criminal ways? What would you do then?"

"Aye." Mickey lowered Minnie's hand, and swung it softly between their bodies. "I just wanna be with her. That's all." He smiled at her, and Minnie's cheeks pinked. She cast her eyes away shyly, but then her eyes gleamed with an idea. It was a spark, a brilliant spark, and she became so absorbed in the idea that she missed the continuing sweetness that Mickey poured on. "Make her happy, give her a good life, protect her… all fer her. She's all I could ever want. Me crew will be fine without me, they're strong… and I don't need money, or ships, or even adventure. I can't think of a better adventure than bein' her husband."

Some females cooed at the sentiment, and there was an occasional eye roll. Shang bowed to the Emperor before adding his own input. "That's… all well and good, but it doesn't erase what you've done in the past. Minerva, you can easily enough be allowed back in the N.A.V.Y. for your actions, but are we honestly supposed to do absolutely nothing with Mickey? You're asking us all to turn a blind eye to crime. No matter how good your intentions are, we can't just let him go."

Minnie was jarred out of her thoughts, and spoke with strange elation now that she could voice her idea. "I might have a solution! I mean, I think I do… I mean… well!" She took a deep breath to calm herself. "And not just for Mickey, but for all pirates. The big issues here are chance and redemption. What if we gave Mickey… a job in the A.R.M.Y.?" This immediately bought a loud reaction from all four sides of the room, and even Mickey looked befuddled at the offer. Minnie spoke rapidly and loudly to try and fit in the rest of her logic. "His knowledge of how pirates work can be a great asset, and I've seen him in action, he's an amazing fighter! And we can offer this to any pirate who is ready to turn over a new leaf. If we take the threat of death away, the battles between us and pirates will less life threatening!"

"Do you have any idea what you're asking?" Helga nearly knocked over her chair as she stood up. "That's giving a free pass to all pirates!"

"I'm not saying that!" Minnie knew her idea wouldn't be welcomed, but to be met with this much anger was worrying. "Of course there would be restrictions, and tests, and things for them to pass to prove their worth, but…" She stopped speaking when she noticed Goofy, off on his side, raising his hand like a schoolchild. When she looked, all eyes followed suit, and their arguments with each other settled down at the sheer absurdity of the sight. Come to think of it, why hadn't Goofy spoken a word since this began? He didn't even seem the lightest bit unnerved, and any arguments that had come from his table had come from Ezekiel and the guards. Once all voices were gone, Minnie hesitantly asked. "…Yes, Goo – er, your highness?"

Acknowledged, Goofy lowered his hand. "Gosh, I like yer idea, Minnie." He grinned, his buck teeth prominent. "I think it's swell, and I wanna do it. I'm sure if we all put our heads together, we can make it work out. And if ye fellas don't agree, and wanna kill me pal Mickey… well then, I'm just gunna have declare war on all of ye."

So many jaws dropped at this threat that Minnie wondered if they should all follow the same dental plan. Though Goofy was showing off a sunny disposition, there was no indicator that he was joking. Even Millie was stunned, her hands frozen on her big belly. Everyone was so outraged that they couldn't decide what to say first. Simba stormed out from behind his table, despite his wife trying to tug him back. "Have you lost your mind? We kept up these laws just to keep the peace between our kingdoms, and you're willing to go to war over his life?"

"Aye." Goofy didn't flinch, nor did he show any frustration. He began to adjust his ever sliding crown as he spoke, ignoring all the hostile tension. "If it weren't fer pirates, I wouldn't even be around. Pirates ain't some scary creatures from fairy tale books. They laugh and cry and bleed and do everythin' ye do. No one is perfect… when people do somethin' wrong, they should be punished. But a life is a long time ta live… can one person be branded ferever, even if they're real sorry? Ain't this whole thing at least worth a try? How long is a law allowed ta last befer we're allowed ta question it?"

These questions were met with uncertainty, but no one could deny the truth his simple words brought. The solution wouldn't be decided right away, but at least now their goals were being pushed together in a single path. Edward moved his hands down in a gesture to make his standing generals keep their seats, and rose in their place. "Before we get started on fixing this… there's still one person's opinion we need on this arrangement." He looked at Mickey, who was surprised to be looked at. "What say you, Captain Mickey? For this woman, and for the future of fellow pirates like yourself… would you take a place in the very organization that hunted you down? Will you join the A.R.M.Y.?"

Minnie was afraid to see Mickey's face as he made his decision, but she forced herself to look. Mickey was smirking.

* * *

><p>"I am going to kill that bilge rat." Minnie hissed, two long months later. "I'm going to find him, arrest him, kill him, and then make sure he never does this again."<p>

"Give him a few more minutes." Daisy chirped behind her, rubbing Minnie's sleeves to offer some minimal comfort. Because of their close proximity, Minnie could feel Daisy's stomach, and wondered if it was growing since she had last looked at it. "If he doesn't show up by then, I'll be more than happy to put a bullet between his eyes."

"Oh, Daisy, you're the best maid of honor a girl could ask for."

Despite how late the groom was, no one could call the crowd at the church anxious. Once they understood what had happened, it had become a source of amusement, and chuckles could be heard back and forth between the pews. It just seemed to fit Mickey that he would be late on his wedding day, since he was the first one who proposed over a year ago. Some even began taking bets on when he would arrive, because there was no doubt he would arrive. It was just a matter of him being distracted, and he'd get there eventually.

"I'd say she should get him a watch, but he'd probably pawn it for the cash." Drake dryly commented, and tried to nudge his daughter awake, despite how cute she looked snuggled up against his arm. Morgana tried not to laugh, but with each passing sarcastic comment Drake made, it was getting more and more difficult to hold back. This was preferable better to the sobbing mess Launchpad was, though. It was even embarrassing his girlfriend Donna. Who ever heard of crying _before_ the wedding?

"You should check out the spread they have for the ceremony afterwards." Donald exchanged a grin with Horace, though Horace could just as easily been grinning at Clarabelle standing with Millie in their lovely bridesmaids dresses. "I hear he somehow convinced her to get rum flavored cheesecake."

"Aw gosh, I haven't had rum in ferever!" Goofy whined, using his arms to lull his infant son back to slumber. Instead, baby Max wanted to keep playing 'how long can I hold onto daddy's ear', and he had the high score. Goofy looked behind him, exchanging a look of understanding with Delbert and his wife, whose own little ones were having a difficult time being settled. Several of the N.A.V.Y. girls who were invited kept staring at Amelia, in disbelief that their Captain – General now, as new laws had come with new promotions – had the capability to smile so beautifully. Jane sat with him, still a Captain but content with it, and was able to ignore the children's cries due to a letter she was writing. She wanted to inform her father about all that happened before she joined him on his jungle expedition later in the year.

"If they keep me waiting any longer, I might just start charging them." Scrooge growled under his breath, impatiently tapping his cane to the floor. Goldie tried to snatch the cane out of his hands, which resulted in another argument, which then resulted in them sappily cuddling and kissing. Ducksworth took the chance to keep the cane away from both of them, and Ms. Beakly thanked him before trying to lift up Ludwig's spirits, as he was still upset he wasn't allowed to bring his automatic rice thrower. You set one library on fire and you're set for life, how unfair!

The door slammed open, and no one was surprised to see the green-clad uniformed mouse stumble his way in with a panic. He stopped several times to shake hands and thank them for coming, including the hands of Minnie's parents. Had they known their daughter was so unhappy in her engagement to Mortimer, they would have put a stop to it. Minnie may have known that on some level, and they had made an excellent shield to use for denial. Now they were happy to see Minnie was living for herself, and not for them, and this knowledge had given Minnie's mother enough strength to come to the wedding instead of being stuck sick in bed. Now, looking the healthiest she had ever been, she sat with her husband, holding mewling Figaro in her hands.

Mickey made it to the altar, sweating profusely and saluting nervously to the owl priest. The holy bird waved off the gesture, and opened the book laid out before him, starting the ceremony. Minnie and Mickey held hands, and Minnie whispered angrily to her future husband. "Where were you? What took you so long?"

"I'll explain later." Mickey tried to smuggle something into his A.R.M.Y. jacket, but Minnie caught sight of it.

"… Is that my father's pocketwatch?" Minnie yanked his arm in closer, trying to keep her voice low but also keep the same aggravated tone with him. He wouldn't learn unless she used the tone.

"… Old habits. Sorry." Mickey tried to smile at her, and offered a press of his nose to her cheek to get rid of her frown. "Aw, c'mon, I'm here, aren't I?"

"Why am I marrying you?" Minnie kept her eyes forward, keeping her pouty face in place.

"Cause… ye love me?" It was an answer he was confident in, so his expression was brighter.

"… For some reason, yes." It did the trick, and she was returning his smile through her veil. The wedding dress this time had been her own choosing, and in her opinion it was far prettier. Instead of fake flowers sown in, this one was designed to look like she was embedded with white feathers. She asked the tailor specifically for turtledove feathers.

"Do you, Minerva Mouse…"

She did. He had irreversibly changed her life for the better, helping to open her eyes that she didn't even know were closed. Thanks to him, she had a true sense of worth, and understood the world as a whole better. He was definitely going to make more mistakes and cause her more grievances, but she would take each one of them head on and love him all the more for it. He was not perfect, nor did he try to be, and for this he was wonderful. He was only Mickey, and that was what had been missing from her life.

"Do you, Michael Mouse…"

He did. He had gone from a life of aimlessly going from one hunt to the next, never appreciating the present or the future until she had given him a reason to fight. He was now a full, complete man, with purpose, drive, and happiness he had thought always denied to him. He was no longer Mickey without Minnie, for they were as much one heart as they were one life. She was all his. Those were his lips to kiss, his hands to hold, and his future to spend as happy as he could make it. Truly the wedding was only for show, for they both knew they were bound together by something beyond pages in a book, beyond perhaps mere mortal understanding.

When the time came to exchange rings, Mickey wistfully noticed that Minnie had kept the stolen engagement ring. She caught this too, and ducked away from his knowing leer. By now, even the snowy owl could not help but join in on the smiles that held the church together. "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Mickey lifted her veil with utmost delicacy, as if afraid to shatter this dream. To his relief, she was real, this was real, and those tears dropping down her petite face were real as he brushed them away from her cheeks. Most everyone expected Mickey to dive right into the kiss and flash off a proud perversion, in a way showing off what was rightfully his. He never got the chance. Minnie dove at him, throwing her arms around him, seizing his mouth in one whole take. Mickey was so overpowered that he nearly fell back, and had to grab onto Minnie to keep them both steady. He wound up having to lift her off the floor a few inches, which was an easy task given how light she was.

It was Daisy who laughed first, and then Clarabelle, then Millie, then their loves and their families, and in a wave of ripples, all those sitting in the pews stood up in thunderous laughter and applause. By the time Minnie pulled back from the kiss, which of itself seemed to last an eternity, she found herself looking down at Mickey, and she burst into giggles. Mickey laughed as well, their noses rubbing together, and faintly, he could hear Minnie telling him in-between giggles that she loved him, loved him, loved him. Everything was perfect.

Of course, perfect never lasts, and why should this moment have been any different? A sudden loud boom erupted from outside the church, and many recognized the sound as cannon fire. Panic and question rose, and Ludwig was the first one to make it to the stained glass windows to see what the problem was outside. He gasped, and then flailed his arms in urgency. "Pirates!"

Mickey promptly put down his wife, who turned on him in a second. "Pirates? Was that what made you so late?"

He brushed down his official uniform, less ashamed than before. "I got a job ta do now, don't I? Since Mortimer's lost all his money, he's tryin' ta goad me old crew holdin' him hostage so he could split the profits. I was tryin' ta rescue the loon, then I remembered what day it was." He wasn't even deterred by Minnie's puffy cheeked pout. "Oh, like ye weren't expectin' anythin' ta happen either?" He pointed at her feet, and after a moment, Minnie pretended to be reluctant about lifting her dress, revealing that she had been wearing her steam-powered roller skates this entire time.

"Just don't slow me down." Minnie clicked her heels together, bringing the skates to life. Perhaps they could convince some of Mickey's crew to give up piracy and start a new life as the new laws now could provide, but she was rather looking forward to seeing how they were all doing after she kicked their butts.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Just leave the Rabbit ta me!" He had a vow of not killing. He did not have a vow of not beating up stupid rabbits illicitly marrying his sister and proving who the better man was.

The two mice then started running, eager to prove their merit to the other. Minnie haplessly tossed the bouquet behind her, which Clarabelle caught by complete accident as she helplessly squeaked to her squealing friends. Spring had started, and the sun was shining brightly as the two privates took to battle. Minnie had gotten the hang of her skates, and despite the length of her dress, found it easy to fly into the air to launch an aerial attack on the criminals.

She looked like a turtledove – a white bird in the sky, finally free.

**The End.**


End file.
